Ghostbuster Girls Legacy
by Rattler20200
Summary: Life goes back to normal for the Equestria Girls after the events of Camp Everfree... until a call from an old friend of Principal Celestia sends them on another paranormal adventure. Shadows of the past haunt the present. Hostile spirits, ancient legends, and a mirror image of Sunset Shimmer... just another day for the Ghostbuster Girls.
1. Shadows

Author's Note: Ladies and Gentlemen... Rattler is back once again with some new crossover madness!

This one might take me a bit longer to post as I am actually... not done writing it. CLOSE, but not quite as of right now.

Anyways... special guest Sunset Shimmer will do the disclaimer.

Sunset: Rattler20200 owns nothing but the plot of the story.

* * *

Chapter 1

Shadows

 **Medieval Europe**

She sighed as she looked up into the sky. They had originally come to this country by order of King Arthur to try and negotiate a peaceful resolution to a rising situation. But the King they had been sent to negotiate with would have none of it and attacked the Knights almost on sight. His dying words still hung over her head, a vow of vengeance upon their descendants.

Someone came up next to her. Looking to her right, she saw Merlin leaning against his staff.

"You're worried about the future?" he asked before turning to face him.

"And you are not?" she asked in return.

Merlin chuckled as he adjusted his grip on his staff and turned to face the redhead.

"Of course I am Gwenevere," he replied. "But… it is not _our_ tale to tell."

Gwenevere rolled her eyes and slung her bow across her back. She still couldn't help but worry for the future. The dark King was in possession of powerful magic. If anyone was capable of carrying out the threat… it was him. But at the same time… she somehow knew Merlin was right.

"Merlin… can I ask you something?" she asked.

"You already did," he chuckled before adjusting his hat.

"Why does Arthur sometimes call you Starswirl?"

The only response she got… was a growing, knowing smile on the old man's face.

* * *

 **Westside Island**

 **Present Day**

She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Ever since the accident that had taken her parents from her, she had been hounded by spirits that seemed to want _her_ for some reason.

Splashing through puddles, she didn't care if she got wet. She just wanted to get away from the ghost chasing her down the street. While the weather had cleared up, the ground was still wet from the morning rain. The cackling behind her urged her on despite her growing fatigue. All thoughts of getting to school dashed the moment the spirit ambushed her.

Suddenly she felt something grab her from behind, and her feet left the ground entirely.

"I have you now Gwenevere!"

"LET ME GO!"

She thrashed in the spirits grip, her legs kicking wildly in the air. Why this thing kept calling her Gwenevere was beyond her. But hell if she wasn't going to fight with everything she had to get free, flailing and screaming all the way.

The Riot Act she was giving attracted the attention of someone at the church, as the local Preacher came out… carrying a spray bottle. He took one look at the situation and ran over, holding up the bottle.

"My child! Here! Use this!" he called out before throwing the bottle. She caught it, unsure what he meant, but decided anything was better than doing nothing. Pointing the business end over her shoulder, she pulled the trigger and spritzed the ghost in the face. Crying out as if it had been burned, the ghost let her go and flew off, dropping her in the process. Her legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground. The Preacher ran over and brushed some of her red and gold hair out of her face.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I just got chased by a ghost Father Michael," she replied, taking a deep breath. "What was in that spray bottle anyways?"

"Holy Water," Father Michael replied before smiling. "And before you ask… all water in a church is Holy."

"Bad joke," she said, suppressing a laugh as he helped her back to her feet.

"Come… you will be safe inside. I'll call Principal Aleena and let her know where you are."

As the pair entered the church, a young girl about the same age as the recent victim was sweeping the floor and noticed them enter. At first she had a concerned look on her face, until she saw the redhead. With a scowl, she went back to what she was doing.

"Starlight, would you please get some hot chocolate?" Father Michael asked.

"Don't see why we should help that Mainlander," Starlight Glimmer growled. "She..."

"Is in need, and it is our _duty_ to help those in need," Father Michael countered. "Now please… hot chocolate."

With a huff, Starlight propped the broom up and left. Father Michael took the redhead over to a more comfortable spot and sat her down before pulling out a rag and cleaning her face a bit.

"She still hates me I see," she sighed.

"Starlight is a bit more stubborn than I'd like for an apprentice, but… I feel she just needs time."

After a few minutes, Starlight returned with a mug of steaming Hot Chocolate. After handing it over to the redhead, Starlight returned to sweeping the floor, as far away from the redhead as possible.

Once he was confident that his charge was safe for the moment, Father Michael entered his office and picked up the phone.

* * *

"Hello?" Principal Aleena Hedge answered the phone as she ran a hand through her violet hair.

 _"Aleena… its Father Michael. Something has happened."_

"What?" Principal Aleena asked as she instantly sat up behind her desk. While it was a small high school, Westside Island High was, like the rest of the town, a close knit community.

 _"Sunset was attacked by a spirit. She's here at the church now."_

Closing her eyes, Aleena tried to think of what to do now. Her hand dropped down to her desk, and landed on a newspaper. Opening her eyes, she looked at the article her hand landed on.

 **High School Heroes**

 **Canterlot saved from Paranormal Horrors**

Blinking in surprise, Aleena picked up the newspaper and quickly read the article before getting an idea.

"Father Michael… I'll need to call you back," she said. "Take care of Sunset for me will you?"

 _"Of course Aleena. She will be safe here."_

Hanging up the phone, Aleena scanned the article for key words.

Canterlot High.

Ghosts.

Principal Celestia.

Ghostbusters.

With a smile, Aleena pressed 0 on the phone and waited for a response.

"Operator? Get me the number for Canterlot High School."

After a moment, she was put through to Canterlot High's office, where she asked to speak with the Principal. A moment later…

"Tia… Good to hear your voice again. Wish this was a social call but… I need your help with something..."

As she put down the newspaper to talk with her old friend, she failed to notice that the picture of the Ghostbusters had one VERY familiar face among them. A young woman… with red and gold hair.

* * *

 **Canterlot High**

Things were relatively quiet for a change. The excitement from the Nightmare Moon Incident had died down, as had paranormal activity around town. The events at Camp Everfree were still fresh in everyone's minds, but… once again the Ghostbuster Girls had stepped up to the plate, even if they didn't actually bring all their gear. Twilight had brought a PKE meter, but for a while had actually doubted herself because of a resurgent fear of becoming Midnight Sparkle again. A fear that was truly put to bed with help from her friends.

It took a little time, but even Slimer was accepted at Canterlot High as a bit of a mascot for the Ghostbusters. No one was shying away from him anymore, and students actually greeted him as he flew down the hallways. Granny Smith even took in the little spud every once in a while to try and teach him how to cook… without slimming everything in sight.

Kylie Griffin had been adopted by Twilight's parents, and was now running an occult bookstore in downtown Canterlot. Ever since the Nightmare Moon Incident, business had been booming. In honor of the original team, she named the store Ray's Occults. Shining Armor still had no idea what to make of Kylie, while Twilight was the most open to it. For reasons she never revealed to her brother of course.

It was shaping up to be just another day at Canterlot High. In one particular class, one particular chromatic haired athlete sat at her desk reading… of all things… a manga. Rainbow Dash was an unexpected presence in Ms. Fujibayashi's Japanese class, but was also… a surprisingly attentive student, unlike in Math or English class where she tended to doze off. And when it came to Chemistry… Rainbow Dash could be considered tranquilized on the spot as the Chemistry teacher had a rather dull, monotone voice. All students had to take a foreign language class at some point, and when asked, Rainbow Dash just said she kicked a ball into a net blindfolded to decide what foreign language to take. What she _didn't_ reveal to her friends was that she was actually a fan of Japanese Anime, and was very eager to learn the language so she could be less reliant on subtitles. And she also wanted ammo for insults no one could respond to.

Also… Japanese class didn't frown on reading manga in class.

 _"Will the Ghostbusters please report to the Principal's Office."_

Looking up at the unexpected announcement, Rainbow Dash closed her manga and slipped it into her backpack before standing up. The rest of the class did look at her for a moment before going back to their assignments. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, Rainbow Dash approached Ms. Fujibayashi's desk and gave a respectful bow.

"Sorry Sensei, but duty calls," she said.

"I understand," Ms. Fujibayashi replied with a smile. "Keep up with your studies, and I'll see you when you get back."

"Arigato," Rainbow Dash replied. "Sayōnara."

With a smile, Rainbow Dash slipped out the door and into the hallway. A minute later she was joined by Applejack, with Pinkie Pie skipping in behind them.

"What'cha reckon we gettin' called for?" Applejack drawled.

"Don't know. But its been a while since we got a call so…" Rainbow Dash replied. "Guess we'll find out."

Ever since the Nightmare Moon Incident, the girls had gotten even closer than ever before. Vinyl Scratch actually said they might as well call each other sisters with how close knit their group had become over time.

Fluttershy came out of the a classroom and joined the group, sliding a textbook into her backpack before slinging it over her shoulder. While still timid, everyone could tell that all the magic and ghost stuff gave her a drive to help her friends. If she was pushed, you'd see another side of the pink haired quiet girl. And everyone knows… its the quiet ones you have to worry about.

Rarity soon ran up to the group, having come from the Gym so she was a little out of breath… and carrying a fencing Saber. Like Fluttershy, Rarity had changed a bit herself thanks to everything. While she was still a bit of a drama queen and fashionista, Rarity gained a bit of a sense of duty and could be counted on to stand with her friends when the chips were down.

Finally, Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer joined the group. The former taking a quick moment to clean her glasses as the latter… made a quick stop at one particular vending machine.

"Have a feeling we might not make it to lunch," she said as she dropped some change into the machine… and was denied her candy bar.

"I hate that machine..." Rainbow Dash deadpanned. "ALWAYS eats my quarters."

"Ah think everyone hates that machine," Applejack drawled.

Sunset Shimmer had an annoyed look on her face before reaching into her pocket and producing… a small Swiss Army Knife. She proceeded to pry the panel open, traced some wires, and a minute later the snack she wanted dropped. A minute later she closed up the panel and put the contraband knife away and claimed her treat.

"Well… I did pay for it," she said.

"Did you just hotwire the vending machine?" Twilight asked.

"I only use my skills for good now," Sunset said with a smirk.

Soon after, the group reached the door to the Principal's office. Slimer was already present, patiently waiting for the team. With a silent nod, Sunset opened the door and stepped in.

"Thank you for coming," Principal Celestia said. Nearby stood her sister, Vice Principal Luna.

"We got a job?" Sunset asked.

"I just got off the phone with an old college friend of mine, Aleena Hedge. She's Principal for Westside Island High School. Apparently… there's been some paranormal activity on the island and… it just reached a red line."

The girls and Slimer looked at each other, a mix of emotions present. The dominant one however… was concern.

"What happened?" Twilight asked.

"One of her students was attacked today. Physically."

That sold it. This was a priority call.

"We'll take the job," Sunset said.

"Thank you," Celestia said with a smile before getting serious again. "I have no idea how long this will take, but I will see to it your assignments are waved for the duration. In exchange however, you will be graded on your performance in the field. Fair trade, as this is essentially real world experience that may help you better than anything you'll learn in a textbook."

"We don't know the full extent of what's happening out there… so be careful," Luna added as she leaned against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. "You'll have to take a ferry over to Westside Island, so I suggest you pack everything you need."


	2. Road Trip!

Chapter 2

Road Trip!

 _"The girls will be on their way,"_ Celestia said.

"I really appreciate this Tia. I just… I don't know what to do," Aleena sighed as she held the handset. "The poor girl's been through so much this last year…"

 _"I can understand that. I've had a couple students who had it rough recently too. One of which recently transferred from Crystal Prep."_

"She lost her parents recently in a car accident Tia. She's alone and really doesn't have any friends. And the fact she's from the mainland kinda contributes to her isolation. Having some other students harass her doesn't help either. My kids do what they can to help, but… its almost like Sunset Shimmer just wants to be left alone."

 _"Sounds a bit like… wait… Sunset Shimmer?!"_

"Yea. That's her name. You know her from somewhere?"

 _"Well… um… its complicated and… already on the way to you..."_

"O...k… Tia… nothing's ever easy with you is it?"

 _"Guess not."_

"Anyways... I'll have my kids meet them at the front door to the school."

* * *

Something about the fact that the spirit that attacked Sunset called her Gwenevere bothered Father Michael to no end. This wasn't some random incident as it appeared to Principal Aleena. This was a targeted attack somehow.

Starlight Glimmer leaned against the wall, idly sipping on a bottle of Coke she stuck a straw into as she watched her mentor peruse an old Tome.

"There's no way she's a descendant," she finally said. "There's gotta be some mistake here."

"I don't know Starlight," Michael said as he traced a finger over a page of the old book. "However… something about all this… I can't help but be concerned. If the enemy has somehow returned..."

Starlight rolled her eyes and slurped her soda a bit, the act showing her disapproval.

"I don't see any connection here," she said. "There's been no sign for hundreds of years. What makes you think He's back? The fact a spirit went after that mainlander alone?"

Father Michael sighed and turned the page.

"Circumstantial the evidence may be… our order swore to watch over this island and its secrets," he said. "We have to prepare for the worst. If He has returned..."

"The legends say only the descendants of the Knights can vanquish him. We haven't found _any_ of them. The only reason you found _me_ is because I actually live here, and Merlin's staff lit up like a Christmas Tree."

He shook his head as he looked up from the book.

"Starlight Glimmer, a descendant of Merlin you may be… but you cannot face this threat alone if it truly is Him. And you could learn to accept other views as well. You are quite gifted, however… you can also be a bit shortsighted and stubborn. There is a reason for this attack on Sunset Shimmer, and we have to find that reason. Personal views aside..."

Starlight sighed and closed her eyes.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it..." she said before leaving the room. Father Michael sighed and looked down at the page he had been examining. It showed the family tree of none other than Merlin himself. The family tree lead to Starlight Glimmer, however… there was another branch that just cut off as though whoever documented the family had lost track of that end.

"I'm trying Merlin," he said quietly, looking up at the ceiling. "Starlight is just… so difficult. I just wish I knew where this other branch of your tree led..."

* * *

Twilight Sparkle looked over her tablet as she took inventory for the trip out to Westside Island. Proton Packs, Traps, PKE Meters, Ecto Goggles extra jumpsuits, extra clothes… Pinkie Pie's Party Cannon?

A recent addition to the Ecto-Van was what Rainbow Dash jokingly called the Porta-Slammer. It was essentially a smaller, portable version of the Ghost Containment Unit in Canterlot High's Bomb Shelter that also doubled as Ghostbusters HQ. Seeing as how they wouldn't be able to empty their traps into the GCU, the Porta-Slammer was gonna get a workout if Ghost activity was high on the island.

Another addition had been made to the Proton Packs themselves. They had all been retrofitted with improved versions of the Dark Matter Generator that Twilight had made during the Nightmare Moon Incident. Not only that, she had managed to create an attachment she called the Composite Particle System. Essentially it was meant for corporeal threats that they could potentially encounter that came from Equestria, such as the carnivorous plants that Twilight had accidentally summoned during the Motocross portion of the Friendship Games as well as the plant walls that they had to contend with at Camp Everfree summoned by a magic crazed Gloriosa Daisy, but could be used against ectoplasmic entities as well. Its primary fire mode was a rapid fire burst of Meson Particles, thus she dubbed this mode the Meson Collider. The secondary Overload Pulse had limited homing capability after an initial strike with the Meson Collider.

Twilight had also improved the Proton Pack's cooling capability, enabling longer use between venting, as well as implementing the same lever action "rifle" bits she had added to Applejack's Proton Pack for easier venting.

"Well… all we need now are some of the prototypes I've made and we should be good to go," Twilight finally said as she pushed her glasses back up her nose.

"Good to hear," Sunset said as she loaded the Proton Packs into the Ecto-Van. "Pinkie's getting the Road Trip music. Applejack wants to make a quick stop at the grocery store to pick up some food before hitting the ferry."

"You sure that's such a good idea with Slimer tagging along?" Rainbow Dash said as she leaned against the Van, hiking a thumb at the resident Spud.

Sunset couldn't help but laugh. While it was true that Slimer was the bane of anything edible, he had calmed down quite a bit on his food binges recently. After a moment, Twilight was struggling with a box before Sunset came over and helped take some of the weight.

"Dang Twilight… what were you working on that's so heavy?" she grunted as the slid the box into the Van. In response, Twilight opened the box and pulled out what looked like… a grenade.

"After the Nightmare Moon Incident and Camp Everfree, I figured we'd need something to help against large groups of Ghosts. The Proton Packs are good, but you can really only go after one at a time, leaving you vulnerable to a counterattack. So… I kinda made these Proton Grenades. Basically it will unleash a burst of Protonic energy that should stun any Ghosts caught in the blast radius. If my calculations are right… the Proton Burst should be strong enough to actually destroy Swarmers so..."

"So we don't have to try and cut them down with a Proton Stream," Rainbow Dash finished. "So… a Flashbang with a kick. And you made a lot of them."

"Well… I also made something else," Twilight said as she dug into the box and pulled out what looked like a Frisbee. "I also experimented with a new variant of our Traps. This thing should be useful for tossing farther out than our standard Box Traps. And not all of the grenades are Proton. Some are actually Slime Grenades filled with positively charged Slime. I haven't been able to work out a Slime culture that replicates fast enough for a Slime Blower attachment for the Proton Packs so…"

Sunset raised a hand to cut off the scientist as she was starting to babble. From experience, she knew Twilight would go on for hours if allowed.

Soon the rest of the team was gathered around the Ecto-Van… with one addition. Spike the Dog walked up next to Twilight and sat down. Although he had missed out on the Nightmare Moon Incident, he was present for Camp Everfree. A loyal companion and good friend of Twilight's, he actually gained the ability to talk after chasing something through a portal a few times during the Friendship Games. Although at times it seemed as though Spike and Slimer viewed each other as rivals and glared at each other every once in a while.

With a group high-five, the Ghostbusters loaded up into the Ecto-Van. Applejack started the engine and shifted the vehicle into gear. A crowd had gathered outside and was cheering for them. Pinkie Pie slipped a CD into the radio, and soon the team was listening to a Road Trip Mix.

"Magic Carpet Ride… nice," Rainbow Dash said with a grin.

As they went down the street, Sunset grabbed Twilight's tablet and started looking up information on Westside Island. It was pretty much a hole in the wall, mostly a small community with a few fishing boats based out of the town of Westside. All in all, it looked like a quiet place. But when you're a Ghostbuster, you understand not to take things at face value. Digging a little deeper, she found a few references to old legends. Sunset made a mental note to call Kylie later to handle some more in depth research.

Passing the tablet back to Twilight, Sunset stretched a bit in her seat and made herself comfortable as the music switched to another song. It wasn't long before she was tapping her foot to the beat, the song oddly fitting for an adventure that would take them outside the city of Canterlot.

 _"Hey (hey!), where you gonna go?"  
_ _We're off to see the world  
_ _We don't need to know (oh)  
_ _"Hey (hey!), where you gonna go?"  
_ _We're off to see the world  
_ _We don't need to know_

With a smile, Sunset Shimmer rolled down the window and stuck her hand out, feeling the wind blow through her fingers. She had to admit, there were many things she could do as a human that she never could have as a pony back in Equestria. Driving down the road with friends, music blasting, and feeling the wind in your hair was one of them. There were no cars on the other side of the portal. Sure a Pegasus could experience something similar while they fly, minus the music, but not the landlocked Unicorns and Earth Ponies as much. But here in the Human World, humans had advanced farther, especially due to the lack of magic in the world. But there was certainly one thing that always came to mind when she thought of Earth's technology.

Any sufficiently advanced technology can be indistinguishable from magic.

Among the wonders Sunset had learned about were cars, airplanes, television, and laser etched crystals. The vary idea of creating an image within a crystal was completely unknown to Equestria.

Sunset actually had one of those crystals sitting on her desk at her house, with her cutie mark proudly displayed inside. While it didn't have any color, she couldn't help but smile at the sight of it.

Applejack pulled into a local grocery store, and asked for a couple volunteers. Taking the opportunity to relax, Sunset leaned her seat back and put her feet up on the dashboard.

* * *

She took a deep breath as she looked at the object in her hand. While it could be seen as a waste, especially with how many boxes she already used up, with luck it would protect her home.

Well… at the very least the inside of her house was going to be a slug free zone.

Sunset Shimmer started pouring a line of salt along the floorboard. In theory, salt was something that could be used as some form of ward against the supernatural. In some instances she read that sea salt was used to help seal artifacts. She was hoping that she could form a barrier to keep ghosts out of her house. After her recent experience, she was willing to try anything.

"I wish you were here mom," she sighed as she continued to pour. "I really could use your help. And I really wish I knew why you told me to come here of all places if anything happened..."

After a few minutes, she completed the salt barrier around the entire inside perimeter of her little house. Moving back into the living room, Sunset put the box of salt down and approached a carrying case sitting innocently on the desk pushed against the wall. It was one of the few things she was able to keep that belonged to her mother. It was an heirloom that had been passed down for generations. Releasing the two locks, Sunset took a deep breath and opened the case.

Inside rested a beautifully crafted bow. What little she knew was that it was from the British Isles originally, belonging to one of her ancestors.

Bringing a hand to the old weapon, Sunset traced her fingers along its surface, feeling the Celtic designs carved into it.

"Níl a fhios agam an bhfuil mé láidir go leor ..." she sighed, switching to her mother's native Irish. She was doubting her strength and was hoping that somehow, her mother's bow could do… well… something.

After a moment she closed the case. She knew the spirits would try again.

She had to find some way to fight back.

* * *

Author's note: If the Irish is butchered... blame Google Translate. Its _supposed_ to say something along the lines of "I don't know if I'm strong enough".


	3. Island Diplomacy

Chapter 3

Island Diplomacy

"Master… we've found her."

A dark shadow shifted as it seemed to look over the moon pool. This was a source of great power on this island. A power he fully intended to use to restore his strength, and perhaps his life.

"Speak," the shadow spoke, its voice dark and filled with malice.

"The descendant of Gwenevere. She is here on this island. The young redhead. We tried to capture her, but..."

"You failed."

"Forgive me master..."

The shadow shifted again, glowing, green eyes fixing on the ghost that had delivered the news.

"Try again," it ordered, eyes narrowing. "Bring her to me. Soon, the power of this island will reach its apex. If my plan is to succeed… her blood, the blood of the one who killed me, must fuel the ritual."

"What of any other descendants?"

"Continue the hunt. The descendants of Arthur's knights, and that… _creature_ posing as a wizard… will not stop me. Not this time."

"As you command… my lord."

* * *

The sight of a Ford E-350 with what looked like Sci-fi B Movie gear tacked on was certainly one to turn heads as the Ecto-van pulled up inside the ferry to Westside Island. It was just as much of an odd sight as they pulled out upon arrival.

Sunset was fingering the talisman she had been given by the ferry's Captain. His words seemed odd, yet at the same time she couldn't help but feel on edge.

 _Sunset Shimmer leaned against the rail, her eyes closed as she just felt the breeze blow through her hair._

 _"Aye… the sea has an attraction doesn't it lass?"_

 _Sunset opened her eyes and turned, finding an older man with a Captain's uniform on. With a smile, she nodded._

 _"Kinda gives you a sense of freedom doesn't it?" she asked._

 _"Aye," the Captain said as he seemed to take in every detail of the passenger wearing the gray jumpsuit with a Ghostbusters patch on the shoulder. "What brings a young lass out to Westside, if I may ask?"_

 _"Business," Sunset replied before offering a handshake. "Sunset Shimmer, Canterlot High Ghostbusters. We got a call from Westside Island High. Sounded pretty bad so… here we are."_

 _The Captain accepted the handshake, although the look on his face seemed odd. Almost as if he'd seen her somewhere before._

 _"Well… I don't know 'bout spirits and such, but… I do know Westside has power. Its a place of legend. I don't know what you're looking for… but you should be careful," he said, before pulling something out of his pocket and offering it to Sunset._

 _"Don't be lookin' for trouble, lest trouble finds you," he said. "You and yer friends do look like trouble magnets though, and have a look that says to me you can handle yerselves."_

 _Sunset accepted what he was offering and took a look. It was a simple necklace with a shark tooth as a pendant. But the strange thing was… Sunset's fingers tingled a bit upon touching the tooth._

 _"May this protect you should you find darkness closing in around ya," he said._

 _"Thank you," she said._

 _"You're welcome. And good luck on ol' Mako. Word of advice… not everything there is exactly what it appears."_

Slipping the talisman back into her shirt, she felt it clink off the amulet she got after defeating Nightmare Moon. Along with that was a piece of a geode that seemed to be attracted to her that she had received at Camp Everfree. It had attached itself to the amulet as if it was a piece of it. She felt it was somehow connected with the Equestrian Elements of Harmony, but at the same time… seemed native to this world. Twilight didn't have a theory about them yet.

"Welp, here we are. Westside Island," Applejack drawled. "Any idea where we're goin'?"

"Well… Principal Celestia said we were to meet with some students from Westside Island High… at the front door to the school," Rarity spoke up. "As to where the school is… I don't know."

Sunset chuckled as she looked out the windshield. She had to admit, Westside Island was a nice place. After a moment she pointed out someone walking down the street. Getting the idea, Applejack pulled up next to them.

Starlight Glimmer stretched as she enjoyed the fresh air. One thing she always enjoyed was going out for a walk. It was the closest she could ever get to meditation. Father Michael had her try it one time… and she fell asleep. But out here… she felt at peace. Well… until the strange looking white van pulled up next to her that is. She did a double take when she saw the sci-fi stuff and crossed out ghost insignia on the side as the driver's side window slid down and revealed a young woman about the same age as her wearing a cowboy hat.

"Howdy," the young blonde in the van called out. "Ah'm wonderin' if ya can help us out a bit?"

"Depends on what you ask," Starlight replied, raising an eyebrow as she cautiously approached. She put one hand behind her back as if it was just casual, but in reality she was readying a low level defense spell if this B-Movie Reject Van turned hostile.

"We're lookin' fer Westside Island High," the rancher said. "We got an appointment with Principal..."

"Aleena Hedge," another voice that sounded oddly familiar said from inside.

"Right. Principal Aleena Hedge."

Starlight let the spell fizzle out and brought her hand back into view. Seemed odd that these people were looking for the high school. But it sounded like they weren't gonna cause trouble. At least she hoped not.

"'Bout… four blocks down Main Street, which is about a mile down that way," Starlight said as she pointed down the road. "After that, turn left and follow the signs. Can't miss it."

"Thank ya kindly," the blonde said with a smile.

"Who are you people anyways? And whats with the van?"

"Canterlot High Ghostbusters," the blonde replied. "Got called in when one of yer classmates was attacked."

Starlight blinked. Canterlot High School? Ghostbusters? Who were these people? But the fact that they mentioned the incident with Sunset Shimmer put Starlight on alert. She'd have to report this to Father Michael.

After some small talk, the van pulled away. Starlight pushed her lips to the left in thought before following for a ways and then turning down a trail. It was a shortcut to the Church, which wasn't too far from the school.

* * *

"So… how long do we have to wait?"

"Mom said they'd be here today."

"Yea… well… I'm waiting!"

"So am I bro. So am I."

"You two are so impatient."

"Speak for yourself Sonia. You're tapping your foot!"

Sonia Hedge rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms across her chest. She loved her triplet brothers, but man could they be annoying. After a moment, she ran a hand through her magenta hair. She hoped these people that their mother called in could help. It was clear Sunset Shimmer was affected by the experience. The redhead just wasn't letting anyone close. After a moment she turned to look at her brothers. Manic Hedge was, as usual, a mess. His green hair in a perpetual state of bedhead, and he was twirling a drumstick in his hand. Next to him was Westside Island's track star, Sonic Hedge. The blue haired runner was Captain of the track team, and the fastest on the island. Unlike Manic, Sonic was a bit more laid back and casual. Sonia knew the carefree attitude didn't reflect badly on him either, as Sonic had taken it upon himself to watch over a young kid named Miles last year. About the same time Sunset Shimmer came to Westside Island.

Her train of thought was broken with the arrival of a white van. Raising an eyebrow, Sonia actually elbowed Manic to get his attention. Soon after the van stopped, some high school girls came out, along with a little dog that seemed to stick next to one particular girl with glasses. Almost instantly, Sonia picked out one as a sporty type. The rainbow haired girl had that athletic cockyness about her. But there was also a bit of confidence that, to Sonia, spoke of skill. This girl was not all talk. She had action to back it up. The science girl of the group approached them.

"Hi," she said a little awkwardly. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, Canterlot High Ghostbusters."

"Nice to meet you. Sonia Hedge, Westside Island High. Welcome to our little corner of the world."

"Thanks. I just hope we can do something to help," Twilight said as the last member of the team emerged. Sonia, Sonic, and Manic all did a double take when they saw a familiar redhead.

"Sunset Shimmer?!" they all exclaimed.

"Uh… how do you know my name?" said redhead asked.

"Dudette! We're frickin' classmates!" Manic replied.

"Yea. And _you_ were the one who got jumped!" Sonic added.

Sunset blinked in confusion before things started to click. She always wondered where her human counterpart was. Now she knew. That seemed to be the consensus among the rest of her friends, as Rainbow Dash actually tried to say they had her confused for someone else. While the green haired rocker seemed to accept it, the blue haired guy and Sonia clearly didn't buy it. After a moment, Sunset decided to speak up again.

"Maybe I just happen to have one of those faces," she said.

"Same hair," Sonia replied. "Same voice..."

"Look… we've got a job to do so can we focus on _that_ instead of my uncanny resemblance?"

"Right. I can go with that," Sonia relented. "Principal's office is this way. Mom wanted to see you all as soon as you arrived."

"Wait… Mom?" Rarity asked.

"Yup. Our mother's the school principal," Sonic said with a smile.

As they walked down the hallway of Westside Island High, Rainbow Dash was deep in thought. Why did their names sound so familiar? After a bit, they were lead to the Principal's office. After a moment, Principal Aleena dismissed her children, leaving the Canterlot students alone with the school administrator. Just like with the triplets, Principal Aleena did a double take at the sight of Sunset Shimmer.

"Well… now I know what Tia meant by complicated..." Aleena said as she leaned forward against her desk. "Welcome to Westside Island."

"Thank you," Twilight replied.

After introductions were complete, they got down to business and started getting information on what happened over the last week or so. It definitely sounded like things were starting to escalate, meaning the girls got there just in time to start making a dent.

"The local hotel's pretty small, but I can make arrangements for you girls to stay there while you're on the island," Aleena finally said. "The owner owes me a favor. I can at least get you some rooms, but anything else is on you."

"We'll take it," Rainbow Dash replied.

"Then I wish you luck girls. If you need anything, give me a call. If even half the things I heard from Tia about you are true… we could use you."


	4. Out on the Town

Chapter 4

Out on the Town

After getting set up with three rooms at the local hotel, the girls all gathered in the biggest one and started setting up. It took a little doing to let Spike in though, but the guy at the desk eventually relented.

"So… now we know where your counterpart's been huh Sunset?" Rainbow Dash said as she plopped down on the couch.

"Guess so," Sunset replied. "And odds are I'll get similar reactions from people all over the island so… probably should lay low for a bit while we gather information."

The girls nodded in response. No point in making things more complicated than they already were. As Rarity connected her laptop to the local wi-fi, everyone was discussing their next move. After a bit, they decided to have Applejack and Rainbow Dash do a PKE sweep while Rarity and Twilight actually did a few interviews.

Based on the information provided by Principal Aleena, the girls decided that the local church was a good place to start, seeing as how the incident that brought them here took place right outside. After that… probably try and track down Sunset's counterpart and talk to her directly. After a bit, Twilight went into a side room with a backpack. A few minutes later she emerged wearing something a bit more casual than their uniform jumpsuits, her usual shirt and skirt that she wears at Canterlot High. Catching on, Rarity soon followed suit. In the fashionista's hand was a tablet for taking notes during the interviews. Both she and Twilight also had their cell phones and PKE Meters. After getting the plan down, the girls all gave a group high five before splitting up for their respective jobs.

"Well… at least I'm not alone, huh Fluttershy?" Sunset asked as she poked around on Rarity's laptop.

"Well… its not like I can just go talk to the animals in public," Fluttershy replied, looking out the window.

"Yea… good point. Would be kinda awkward to try and explain your Dr. Dolittle powers to these people," Sunset replied with a laugh. "Probably best if we all kept our magic under the radar for now. Huh… Rarity DOES have a lot of music on this thing..."

* * *

Starlight looked up from what she was doing when she heard a knock on the door. After informing Father Michael about the arrival of the Ghostbusters, she went to work on her usual chores around the church. Shaking her head, she went back to the dusting until another knock was heard. Heading over, she opened the door a bit and found two young women standing there, one adjusting her glasses as if they fell out of place.

"Can I help you?" Starlight asked.

"I hope so," Twilight replied. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, and this is Rarity Belle. We're with the Canterlot High Ghostbusters. We'd like to ask a few questions about the recent Ghost attack."

Starlight narrowed her eyes a bit. They must have been in that van. All she actually saw was the driver anyways. After a moment, Starlight opened the door and invited them in.

"Wait here. I'll let Father Michael know you're here," she said before heading off to the side. Just before she went down the hall towards the office, she noticed Twilight Sparkle pull a device off her belt and start waving it around a bit as if she was trying to detect something.

Twilight narrowed her eyes as she looked at the readings on her PKE Meter. It was as if she was getting a low level hit everywhere. Not serious enough to worry about, but… just… there. After a moment she started to try and filter out different frequencies before it flat lined. There was no Psychokinetic Energy present at all.

"Rarity… you seeing these readings?" Twilight asked.

"Yes I am," Rarity replied as she looked at her own PKE Meter. "You're the Science girl. What does it mean?"

"I don't know… give me a sec to try something."

Twilight flipped a switch on her PKE Meter… and the screen lit up. It wasn't PKE they were detecting. It was _magic!_ Unlike the base model that she learned about from Kylie, Twilight's PKE Meters were actually based on her original Magic Detector, and had the ability to track magical energy. But what was magic doing here?

"Might want to take note of these readings," Twilight said. "But why would there be..."

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting."

Twilight let out a surprised eep before turning towards the source of the voice and hiding her PKE Meter behind her back. Rarity just looked up before deactivating her Meter and clipping it back onto her belt. Standing nearby was an older man wearing the typical black outfit of a preacher.

"Of course not," Rarity replied as Twilight recovered and put her PKE Meter away. "Rarity Belle, Canterlot High Ghostbusters. Its a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine Ms. Belle. I'm Father Michael. I understand you two have a few questions for me?"

"Indeed we do."

"Please… come with me then. Starlight will be along soon with something to drink."

Soon the three were in the main office, with Father Michael sitting across from them behind a desk. Rarity had her Tablet active and was ready to take notes as Twilight adjusted her glasses again.

"We'd like you to tell us anything you can remember from the recent Ghost attack," Twilight said.

Father Michael leaned back a bit in his seat as he considered the request. He had to admit it was interesting that a pair of high school girls were investigating the paranormal like this. Especially since one of them looked more like she'd be at home at a fashion show or something.

"Well… it was an ordinary day for the most part," he replied after a moment. "I was watering the plants while my apprentice was cleaning. I heard a commotion, and came out to find young Sunset Shimmer being assaulted by a spirit. It actually had her up in the air when I tossed her the spray bottle I had in hand."

"A… spray bottle..." Twilight deadpanned.

"Well… it was full of water and… well… I guess you could say that any water from a church is Holy Water," Father Michael chuckled.

"O… k… anything about the ghost itself stand out?"

"It seemed to be wearing some kind of armor. Looked almost medieval. But not like a Knight's armor."

"Anything else?"

"It seemed rather focused on Sunset Shimmer and… I believe I heard it call her Gwenevere."

Both Twilight and Rarity looked at each other for a moment. That had to be important somehow. As the interview continued, there wasn't much more they were able to learn about the ghost itself. It seemed to be free roaming, rather than tied to any particular location or artifact. They did learn that Sunset Shimmer had a little house on the island. Apparently it had been in her family for generations, just… not occupied until now. They also learned that Sunset had come to the island only last year, and… was the only survivor of a tragic accident. Father Michael said that she had been told to come to Westside Island if anything happened to her parents. The reasoning though… was unknown.

"Thank you for your time Father Michael," Twilight finally said as the interview came to a close. "We're gonna have a lot to go over as we continue to gather information. Seems like you know a bit about Sunset Shimmer. By any chance do you have her address? We'd like to try and talk to her ourselves as… she was kinda the target of this attack."

"Of course," Father Michael replied as he stood up. "In fact… I was going to deliver a care package today and check up on her. But… if you two intend to speak with her yourselves… perhaps you could deliver it for me?"

"We can do that," Rarity replied.

Father Michael watched as the two young women left the church, a neutral expression crossing his face. Something about their demeanor put him on alert. They weren't amateurs. Those two girls had experienced the paranormal before. And there was something else too. A couple of the enchanted charms he had in his office actually glowed as the girls passed by them. Not enough to alert them, but he had been watching. These… were no ordinary girls. But at the same time, they weren't demons or anything like that. They were human. And they had power.

"Your assessment Starlight?" he asked his apprentice.

"Mainlanders," Starlight replied. "Typical, clueless mainlanders. But something about them seems off."

"There's nothing typical about them Starlight. You saw it too."

"Yea… I did. The charms reacted. One or both have magic or have an enchanted object. Question is… do _they_ know it?"

* * *

Twilight and Rarity approached the little house that Father Michael identified as Sunset Shimmer's home. It was mostly hidden by trees from the road, but wasn't far from from the town. Shifting the weight of the care package Father Michael gave them, Twilight knocked on the door.

After a moment, the door opened, revealing a carbon copy of their friend. Unlike her Canterlot High counterpart, this young woman had her hair tied back in a ponytail and seemed a lot more reserved in her posture. Her outfit was similar to Sunset's, but lighter and less black.

"Can I help you?" Sunset asked. Twilight noted the slight accent in her voice. To her it sounded almost… Irish?

"My name's Rarity Belle. We're with the Canterlot High Ghostbusters. We'd like to ask you a few questions about the attack."

"And her?" Sunset asked, looking at Twilight.

"Twilight Sparkle. I'm with her, and this… is a care package from Father Michael. He asked us to deliver this to you after we finished talking with him."

For a moment, Sunset seemed to consider her options before closing her eyes.

"Tá mé ag dul go brón orm..." she muttered before opening her eyes and inviting them in. "Go ahead and put it in the kitchen."

Both Rarity and Twilight were surprised by how little decoration there was in the house. There were a few personal belongings but for the most part it seemed like Sunset either wasn't settled in even after all this time, or was afraid to settle down. As Twilight put the care package down on the counter, she noted an abnormal number of empty salt boxes lying around. Most were in the garbage, but a few that couldn't fit were just discarded on the counter top.

"Would you mind if I did a sweep of the house?" Twilight asked. "As you were the target of the attack, I'd like to make sure there isn't anything here."

"Alright I guess," Sunset replied with a shrug.

As Rarity interviewed Sunset, Twilight moved into the next room and pulled out her PKE Meter. As she went room by room she noted that the PKE was pretty much zero. However… there was another magic hit. Stronger than at the church. As she followed the signal, she was lead to what looked like a carrying case. The PKE Meter zeroed in on that and lit up like a Christmas Tree. Narrowing her eyes and adjusting her glasses, Twilight put her Meter down and undid the latches on the case. Opening it up, she gasped in surprise. Inside rested a beautifully crafted bow. This was the source of the magic hit. But it seemed to not react to her presence at all. Quickly taking out her cellphone, Twilight took a couple pictures for research purposes later, making sure to also get a close up of the details.

Closing the case, Twilight secured it so it appeared untouched, and took a deep breath. Something was going on here. By chance she happened to look towards the window, and noticed something on the floor. Walking over, Twilight waved her PKE Meter over what looked like a powder.

No response.

Narrowing her eyes again, Twilight touched it before getting some on her finger and actually tasting it.

"Salt..." she trailed off. "Why would Sunset… the boxes in the kitchen. This is where all that salt went..."

She looked around, and found that the salt was spread in a line along the floorboard. As she continued her sweep she discovered more salt. And there was one other fact that registered in her mind. The salt was set up along the outer walls of the house. Almost like a barrier.

Rarity tapped out some more notes as she spoke with Sunset. Unfortunately there wasn't much more the redhead could add to what they learned from Father Michael. All she got was that this wasn't the first encounter. Just the most extreme. Apparently there were two previous encounters during the week leading up to the attack. None of which were physical, but both seemed to disturb Sunset.

After wrapping up the interview, Rarity pulled out a card with some phone numbers on it.

"Thank you Sunset. If anything comes up… feel free to give us a call," she said as she offered the card to her.

"What's with all the numbers?" Sunset asked.

"Cellphone numbers for several members of our team. Easier to contact us directly than go through Canterlot High."

After Twilight returned, and some small talk, the two left. As they walked down the driveway, Twilight mentioned the discovery of the salt barrier.

"Hm… that is odd," Rarity said. "I think I remember reading something about salt being used to seal haunted artifacts. And I believe it was also used to deter dark spirits."

"You think she did that to try and protect herself at home?" Twilight asked.

"Well… anything is possible darling."

Sunset watched as the two young women walked down the street after leaving her house. Something seemed odd. When she was speaking to Rarity, she noted that several times the purple haired young woman seemed to catch herself before saying something or other. Not only that… there were a few times where there was a look of recognition in her eye. Almost as if she knew her from somewhere. The problem was, Sunset had never met the proper, fashion interested girl in her life. And there were similar looks from the scientist. What was her name again? Twilight Sparkle.

Whoever these Ghostbusters were… she had a feeling they were more than meets the eye.

* * *

Author's Note: The Irish is _supposed_ to translate to "I'm going to regret this". Blame Google Translate.


	5. Digging for Clues

Chapter 5

Digging for Clues

"So… we still don't know anything?"

Sunset's question hung in the air as the team came back and reported their findings. Applejack and Rainbow Dash reported a low level magic hit everywhere, but not significant PKE hits. Rarity and Twilight reported what they learned from both their interviews, but again… it wasn't much. All they got going for them now is that the ghosts wore medieval style armor and were focused on human Sunset.

"Magic hits all over the town," Twilight said. "The magic hit on the bow, the medieval ghosts…"

"In short… we _still_ ain't got nothin' to work off of," Applejack summarized.

"Now what?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight thought for a moment as she fingered her cellphone.

"I'm gonna make a call."

* * *

Business may have slowed down a bit, but Kylie Girffin was still happy with how things have turned out. _Ray's Occults_ was still making money, and it seemed like anytime something weird happened in town, business spiked.

She did have to admit she missed being a Ghostbuster, but… this wasn't her world. While she was adopted by Twilight's family, she was still an outsider for the most part.

Her cellphone rang, and just as she picked it up, a customer approached the counter.

" _Ray's Occults,_ please hold for a minute," she said as she answered, bracing the device between her shoulder and ear. She took the book the customer handed over and rang it up. "That will be $7.50."

"Nice to have someplace like this in town," the customer said as he handed over the money.

"Well… hope this helps. Thank you and have a nice day," Kylie replied.

As the customer left, Kylie took note that she was the only one in the store at the moment.

"Thank you for holding, how can I help you?" she asked, not having looked at the number due to the customer.

 _"You really are enjoying running a business huh Kylie?"_

"Oh… Hi Twilight. Didn't know you were the one calling."

 _"Well… you were kinda distracted from the sound of it. Anyways… I need your help with something."_

Kylie sat up straighter behind the counter.

"What's up?" she asked.

 _"I need you to look up some information for me."_

"Alright… lay it on me."

 _"Ok… first… I'm sending you some pictures of a bow I found here on a job. I got a hit off it, but not PKE."_

"Not a PKE hit?"

 _"No. A magic hit."_

Kylie thought for a moment as she switched to speakerphone and looked at the images Twilight sent her. Without even needing to look it up she could tell it was more European. After a moment she looked up the details.

"Well… its a European bow… the patterns and markings look… Celtic."

 _"Celtic… Hm… her accent did sound a bit Irish… would that fit with a Celtic background?"_

"From the British Isles… so… potentially yes. It could be Irish in origin… why..."

 _"We're on a job out here at Westside Island. And… we found Sunset's human counterpart. She owns the bow, and it sounded like she had a slight Irish accent, and I think she can actually speak Irish. Which leads me into the next question. Can you find anything at all on Westside Island?"_

Kylie pulled the keyboard over and started an internet search. As she did so, she could tell Twilight also switched to speakerphone as the rest of the team was responding now as well. The idea that Sunset's counterpart was part Irish was interesting in her mind. She met the redhead, and couldn't see any indication of any ethnic background outside of Canterlot, or even the west coast of the United States. But to hear that her counterpart might opened up quite a few interesting questions. But… questions for another time.

"Ok… here's something. Long ago Westside Island was known as Mako Island. Legends say that the island was essentially a wellspring of magic protected by mermaids."

 _"Mermaids?"_ Rainbow Dash deadpanned. _"You gotta be kidding me… we're not dealing with Ariel here Kylie. We got Medieval ghosts."_

"Medieval?"

 _"That's how Father Michael and Sun… human Sunset described them,"_ Rarity replied.

"Well… anyways… in many ways I guess this… wellspring or font is like what is said to be at other places like Stonehenge and Easter Island. A place of great power. I don't know if I believe the 'protected by mermaids' part, but given what you girls have dealt with… anything is possible."

Kylie looked through more information on Westside Island, but there was not much else beyond legends of mermaids and the island being a magical oasis. Which if according to Twilight's PKE meters… may actually be true to a degree. What came next threw Kylie for a loop.

"You want me to look up what?"

 _"Any information on_ _Gwenevere,_ _"_ Twilight responded.

"Gwenevere. As in… King Arthur, Knights of the Round Table… that Gwenevere?"

 _"I know… but the ghost that attacked Human Sunset specifically called her_ _Gwenevere._ _"_

In Kylie's mind… something seemed weird about that. But at the same time… there was a connection made. For the most part Arthurian Legend was Medieval. And the ghost was reported to be wearing Medieval armor. There had to be a connection. With a nod, Kylie dug deeper, looking for more obscure references to Gwenevere.

"Well… you never make it easy Twilight. But… I think I found something."

 _"Lets hear it,"_ Sunset spoke up.

"There are a few obscure references to Gwenevere that aren't part of Arthurian Legend. This one particular story says she… oh now this is interesting. Gwenevere was apparently a Celtic warrior woman. And get this… she was a skilled _archer_. Not only that… she was considered an honorary Knight because of her skill… and actually joined the Knights on… oh…"

 _"What? Joined them on what?"_

"Apparently there was a conflict. There was a kingdom in Croatia that was spreading at an alarming rate. Many of the nations closer to Britain actually petitioned Camelot to intervene when their borders were threatened. According to this, the king of this expanding nation was a skilled Dark Magic user, and threatened to plunge the world into darkness. King Arthur dispatched his Knights to try and negotiate a peaceful resolution… only for them to be forced into… they were attacked by the dark King and they had to kill him."

 _"Anything else?"_ Rarity asked.

"Yea… I got a name. King Sombra. And… oh… this… this could be bad."

 _"how bad?"_ Fluttershy asked timidly.

"It says here King Sombra swore revenge upon the descendants of the Knights."

 _"So… if we assume that the Medieval ghost is somehow connected to this Samba guy..."_ Rainbow Dash spoke up.

 _"Sombra,"_ Rarity corrected.

 _"Whatever. Anyways… if the ghost is connected to him, and Sunset is a descendant of Gwenevere, who is apparently considered a knight..."_

"That could be bad… but… I think we could be looking at something even bigger."

 _"How so?"_ Applejack asked.

"Location. If Westside Island _is_ a magic font like Stonehenge or Easter Island, and Sombra has returned from the dead to exact revenge..."

 _"We could be talking Nightmare Moon level threat,"_ Sunset finished.

* * *

Father Michael looked over what he could find from Canterlot about the Ghostbusters. It was apparently a team of seven girls, along with a ghost that goes by the name Slimer. And just as Twilight Sparkle and Rarity Belle said, they were from Canterlot High School. It seemed rather unusual that these seven girls would come together when they looked so different in personality from each other. Not only that… there was one in particular that caught him off guard.

Someone who looked _exactly_ like Sunset Shimmer.

There was also the reactions of the magic charms in his office to the two girls that concerned him. According to what little he could find, Canterlot had apparently had some… unusual events happen in the past year. Some sort of disturbance at the Fall Formal, strange light shows and ghostly equine figures in the sky at some kind of Battle of the Bands event, unexplained energy discharges and a carnivorous plant as well as the school statue being destroyed by mysterious circumstances, the so called "Nightmare Moon" incident that was the first instance of the Ghostbusters in action, and finally some unexplained events at Camp Everfree involving Canterlot students.

There certainly was more to these girls than meets the eye.

For a moment, a thought crossed his mind. Were these girls somehow… the descendants of the Knights? It didn't really make sense though. The odds of that were… pretty low. And yet… two girls with magic or in possession of a magic item were sitting in his office asking about paranormal activity as if they had faced it before.

If the Enemy had returned… would these Ghostbusters be an ally? Or a hindrance?


	6. They're Called the Ghostbusters

Chapter 6

They're Called the Ghostbusters

He had no intention of failing his master again.

He observed Gwenevere, watching her habits, waiting for the right moment to strike and bring her before his lord. He had tried earlier to ambush her in her home, only to literally bounce off the walls. Resisting the urge to call for a siege, he watched and waited.

Soon now… his lord would be reborn. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

 _See it coming from a mile away Savin' the day  
Savin' the day  
When you're getting to the point  
where it's driving you insane_

 _Savin' the day  
Savin' the day_

Slimer was groovin' to the music coming from Rarity's laptop as Sunset Shimmer continued to do research on every little bit of information they could get their hands on. There were a few dirty looks shot between the ghost and Spike, but for the most part its been peaceful.

"Ugh..." Sunset groaned. "This is worse than trying to find out about the Cult of Eternal Night."

Applejack lounged in a nearby chair and pushed her hat up as she looked over at the redhead.

"Well… we're dealin' with somethin' a lot older than the Cult," she pointed out.

"Not only that, we're not on our home field," Rainbow Dash added as she looked out the window of the hotel room. "We're the visiting team here."

Sunset leaned back in her seat and ran a hand through her hair. Back in Canterlot they would be able to rely on getting calls if things kicked up. But here… they were flying blind. Everything she could find on this mysterious King Sombra was ancient stuff. And that's assuming he's even involved at all. They had no proof. The only thing pointing in that direction was a medieval ghost and Sunset's counterpart being called Gwenevere.

Throwing her hands up, Sunset stood up and stretched.

"I'm gonna go get some fresh air," she said. "Come on Slimer."

As the redhead and the spud left the room, Spike stretched and padded over to Applejack and jumped up onto the arm of the chair.

"Guess things are pretty rough right now huh?" he asked.

"No kiddin'," Applejack replied.

"Maybe you just need to catch something. I know I feel better after catching a ball."

Applejack blinked before looking over at Rainbow Dash. The chromatic haired girl had a thoughtful look on her face as she turned and leaned on the windowsill.

"I think Spike's on to something," Twilight said as she walked in from the little kitchen with a mug of hot chocolate. "We're beating our heads against a wall right now. We need a lead. You think Sunset's magic will work on a Ghost?"

"Not a clue," Rainbow Dash replied, bringing a hand to the pendant hanging around her neck. "We've never tried since we got it back at Camp Everfree."

"Assumin' the spook will sit still long enough fer Sunset t' touch it," Applejack drawled.

Sunset leaned against the Ecto-Van as she looked up into the sky. They needed something to work off of, and soon.

While she did turn a few heads in the parking lot, it was Slimer who got the most attention. The spud just took it all in stride, being used to it from his time with now three teams of Ghostbusters. Out of all the teams he's worked with, this one certainly was more interesting. While he had fun with the original team, and with the second team that Kylie was a part of, Sunset's team was certainly unique.

Sunset looked at Slimer as he drifted closer and smiled. After a minute she actually reached over as if to put a hand on the ghost's shoulder. The second she did…

Sunset Shimmer gasped as her eyes lit up.

She saw the original Ghostbusters as they attacked Slimer at the Sedgewick Hotel. She then saw how he helped out against Vigo, then worked his way to becoming a member of the team in his own right. She then saw him working with Kylie's team until that day that sent her and Slimer to Canterlot…

Pulling her hand back, Sunset shook her head to clear it. That was a new experience.

"Well… I guess my magic does work on ghosts too..." she trailed off. "You kinda miss them don't you Slimer? Egon and the other Ghostbusters?"

Slimer blinked before nodding.

"If… if my magic can work on you… then maybe..." Sunset trailed off. Slimer snapped his fingers, pointed at Sunset, and said a bunch of gibberish. But it was clear he was on the same track as Sunset. They COULD learn more! They just needed to catch a ghost.

Motioning for Slimer to follow, Sunset bolted back into the hotel.

* * *

"So… we catch one of the ghosts, then somehow restrain it so that Sunset can..." Twilight was cut off as Sunset burst into the room.

"My magic works on ghosts!" she exclaimed, getting everyone to look at her. Slimer floated up next to her and nodded, pointing at the redhead as if to say "what she said".

"How do you know?" Fluttershy asked.

Sunset just had a confident smirk on her face before hiking a thumb at Slimer. The girls looked between the two before they all facepalmed. They completely forgot they had a ghost to test on that wouldn't move.

"Well… that solves one problem," Rarity said. "Now… how to restrain a hostile ghost so you can use your magic?"

"Capture Stream?" Applejack suggested.

"Too random," Twilight replied. "Sunset would run the risk of getting burned by the stream as it wraps around the ghost."

"Stasis Stream then," Sunset suggested. "Pretty much puts them on ice. I should still be able to touch 'em."

"Would it last long enough?" Pinkie asked.

"Guess we'll find out," Rainbow Dash replied as she went to get her Proton Pack. "Now all we need... is a not-so-friendly neighborhood ghost."

* * *

Starlight watched as the Ghostbusters pulled up into Main Street and got out of their van. She was surprised that there were seven of them in total. One seemed to be wearing a hat as if to hide her identity. Although that fire hair was rather distinctive. Starlight knew of only one person on the island with hair the color of fire.

Each member of the team was wearing a gray jumpsuit with a patch on the shoulder, and were wearing some kind of pack. They soon spread out, producing the same devices that she remembered seeing Twilight and Rarity using at the church.

Narrowing her eyes, Starlight shadowed the group.

* * *

Finally deciding to take out the trash, Sunset Shimmer stepped out the door with a couple bags and made her way to the trash can at the end of the driveway. Things had been quiet, but she was still on edge.

She dropped the bags into the can and took a deep breath. Shaking her head, Sunset reached for the lid, only for it to suddenly slam down. Jumping back, Sunset found that armored ghost in front of her with an evil grin on its face. Taking a couple steps back, Sunset turned to run towards her house, only to find she had been cut off by at least three others.

"Someone wants to see you Gwenevere..." the lead ghost said evilly.

Backing away from the group, Sunset turned and bolted down the road towards town.

"Bah! Not even a blip!" Rainbow Dash groaned as she opened a bottle of soda she bought and took a drink.

They had spent a couple hours doing a sweep of the area and came up empty handed. Sunset had returned to the Ecto-Van a few minutes ago. The rest of the team was sitting around a table trying to figure out their next move.

"Well… guess not every job will have obvious hauntings," Fluttershy said meekly.

"I'll take the obvious ones," Rainbow Dash protested. "At least we'd know what we're up against!"

Twilight pushed her lips to the side in thought before having to adjust her glasses again. Fluttershy was right. This wasn't an easy case. With virtually the whole island to go over and no one willing to call them… it was a needle in a haystack.

Without warning six PKE Meters went off at the same time. The girls pulled them off their belts and looked at them. Before anyone could say anything, there were several screams, and at least two large bangs. Twilight looked up, and saw the Ecto-Van was now pinned between two other vehicles, with Sunset inside trying to get out. There were several ghosts swooping around the street as if setting up barricades. Just as Sunset tried the rear door, a car was shoved up against it.

"Uh… well… we wanted a ghost..." Rarity said as she stood up slowly.

"Lets… get… BUSTIN'!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she jumped out of her seat and drew her Neutrona Wand.

The pink haired party girl leveled her wand at the closest ghost and cut loose with a Proton Stream, catching the spirit off guard. The attack didn't go unnoticed however, as the rest of them suddenly turned and charged. Rarity raised her hand almost reflexively to put up a shield, but Applejack put a hand on her shoulder.

"Too many people around Rares," she said before unleashing a Shock Blast from her Proton Pack.

"Right," Rarity replied before joining the battle.

Twilight tossed her trap out into the middle of the street, alerted the other girls, and cut loose with her own Proton Stream.

"We still need to isolate one!" Twilight called out as she wrangled her ghost into the trap.

* * *

Starlight ducked as the battle raged. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. These girls were somehow fighting ghosts with some kind of energy weapons! Shaking her head, Starlight made her way over to the van, as she saw some movement inside. Probably a member of their team trapped by the cars. While not trusting of these mainlanders, Starlight decided it was better to let them do the fighting as they seemed to know what they were doing. Also Starlight didn't have her staff and could only manage some basic offensive spells. Nothing that would help against this many ghosts.

Just as Starlight made it to the van, the occupant came back to the front and started trying to roll down the window. The problem was there was still a vehicle in the way. As Starlight tried to find some way to help, the occupant looked up and their eyes met. Recoiling in shock, Starlight couldn't believe her eyes. The occupant of the van… was Sunset Shimmer! Before she could say anything, Starlight caught sight of a group of ghosts chasing someone into town. Once again… Starlight was in shock as she was finally able to identify the victim as… Sunset Shimmer?

How could one person be in two places at once?!

* * *

Applejack wrangled her latest victim into Twilight's trap when she looked to her left and saw the chase in progress. She did a double take when she saw Sunset Shimmer, but remembered what Twilight and Rarity said about their friend's human counterpart being here. And that ghost leading the chase matched the descriptions they got from Father Michael and human Sunset.

"Dashie! Rares! Incomin'!" Applejack called out before shifting her aim. "That center one! Ice 'em!"

"I'll get… Sunset clear," Rainbow Dash said.

"I got her! You two handle the ghosts!" Rarity countered, hoping to prevent the athlete from using her magic. Running ahead, Rarity grabbed Sunset and pulled her to the side as Applejack and Rainbow Dash cut loose, scattering the formation. Focusing on the lead ghost, Applejack tossed her trap and switched to the Capture Stream. Rainbow Dash worked to cut off the others.

"You ok?" Rarity asked.

"What the bloody hell is all this?" human Sunset asked, clearly still freaked out.

"Guess you could say this is what we do darling," Rarity replied with a smile. "Stay close to me."

"Like I got many options right now..." Sunset replied as she kept her head down.

Fluttershy switched the Dark Matter Generator on her Pack on, and unleashed a Stasis Stream at the ghost Applejack was trying to wrangle, slowing it down as what looked like ice formed on it.

"Hey! You want some of this?" Rainbow Dash challenged a pair of tough looking ghosts. "Come get some!"

"Stupid bloody git… you can't hope to defeat our lord!" one of the ghosts countered… before getting a Boson Dart to the face. Rainbow Dash just stood there with a confident smirk as she vented her pack.

"Baka," she shot back before tossing her trap out and unleashing a Proton Stream. The ghosts split up, but the one who had spoken was a bit too slow and soon found itself in a tug of war with the chromatic haired athlete. Just as its buddy turned to help, a wild Pinkie Pie appeared in its face and triggered a trap in her hand, sucking it in point blank.

Sticking her tongue out the corner of her mouth, Applejack pulled the lead ghost towards her trap. After a moment she decided she had enough of it fighting and started slamming it against the ground and a nearby wall. Combined with Fluttershy's Stasis Stream, the lead ghost was eventually sucked into Applejack's trap. Fluttershy dashed over and kicked the trap back over towards her before rejoining the fight. Picking it up, Applejack reattached it to her belt and vented her pack. This was sorta reminding her of the hectic pace they had back in Canterlot during the Nightmare Moon Incident.

The ghosts started to scatter after a few minutes, deciding that discretion was the better part of valor. Pinkie Pie stood in the middle of the street and shook her fist at the departing ghosts.

"Yea! You'd better run!" she yelled before whooping several times in victory. The rest of the team, minus Applejack, gathered around and gave a group high five. The resident country girl was checking on the Ecto-Van. Inside, everyone's favorite baconhair just shrugged. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Applejack carefully grabbed the front bumper of one of the cars, and levered it to the side a foot. She proceeded to do the same to the back, and the other two cars. Unlike the other girls, with the exception of Fluttershy and Sunset, Applejack's magic wasn't as useful in combat with ghosts due to the fact that it was enhanced physical strength. With the Ecto-Van no longer pinned, Sunset tried to come out, only for Applejack to wave her off, pointing over in the direction of Rarity and Sunset's counterpart. Getting the message, Sunset just ducked back inside to avoid being spotted.

Starlight blinked from her hiding spot. Did that cowgirl just move those cars? By herself? After a moment to make sure she wasn't spotted, Starlight made her way over to the group. Rarity was checking on Sunset Shimmer as the pink haired girl just rested the business end of her weapon on her shoulder.

"Who are you people?" Starlight asked.

"We're the Ghostbusters!" Pinkie Pie said proudly.

* * *

"My lord… we have failed to capture Gwenevere… again."

"She is but one human girl! Why can you not..."

"She had help my lord."

"Who helped her? That Mage Order rumored to be on this island?"

"No my lord. Six young women with weapons unlike any we have ever seen. I believe they called themselves… Ghostbusters."

Narrowing his eyes, the dark being shifted. This was an unforeseen complication. He anticipated the Mages getting involved, but these… Ghostbusters were a wildcard.

"I don't care what must be done. Bring me Gwenevere's descendant! The Island's power will be at its height tomorrow night!"

"As you command… King Sombra. Gwenevere will be brought before you as you decree."


	7. Shed some Light

Chapter 7

Shed some Light

Slimer slurped on a bottle of Coke as he observed everything going on in the hotel parking lot. It was a risk, but the girls figured it would be better to do this in an open area rather than inside. Spike sat on the hood of the Ecto-Van, unsure what to think of all this.

"So… Stasis Stream, and if absolutely necessary, Rarity's shield should hold him," Sunset said as she took her Proton Pack off and put it down.

"You sure?" Rarity asked, looking around to see if anyone was around.

"Yea."

Applejack set her trap down in the center of the parking lot. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash took aim, switching on their Dark Matter Generators. Once they got a blue glow, they nodded and shifted their stance. Rarity took a deep breath and positioned herself in between the two and raised a hand, ready to summon a diamond shield. In her mind she was estimating how big she'd need to make it, and if she would need to make several in order to hold the ghost. If Sunset's magic could work on ghosts, it was a safe bet that any non-physical magic, like Rarity's shield and Twilight's levitation, would also be effective as well. Rainbow Dash's speed and Fluttershy's Animal Speak were useless, Applejack's strength was a mixed bag being dependent on wrangling with a capture stream, and Pinkie Pie's exploding sprinkles… were a total wildcard. Not a clue.

Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes and took a deep breath. While her magic worked on Slimer, there was no telling how it would work on this ghost. But they were flying blind and needed information. They needed to know what they were up against.

She opened her eyes, a defiant look crossing her face.

"Do it," she said.

Applejack put a hand on her own Neutrona Wand in case she needed to wrangle the ghost before triggering the trap. The armored ghost sprang out, shock and confusion clearly on its face, before a pair of blue streams with black cores slammed into it. The Stasis Streams started forming "ice" all over the ghost's body, and its movements became sluggish. Rarity decided not to take any chances and thrust her hand out, forming several diamond shaped shields and arranging them to trap the ghost, while leaving three openings. Two for Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to shoot through, and one for Sunset to touch it.

"Here goes nothing..." Sunset said as she approached their prisoner and extended a hand. The ghost was still able to growl at being restrained and tried to lash out, but the Stasis Streams were making him so sluggish that Sunset only had to sidestep and actually reached out and grabbed the semi solidified arm. Unfortunately nothing happened. Growling, Sunset actually thrust her hand at the ghost's chest, figuring that the spectral gauntlet was interfering. As soon as her hand came into contact with its chest…

Her eyes lit up, surprising the ghost.

* * *

Images and sounds rushed into Sunset's mind as she was bombarded with memories of the past.

Ancient conquests across Europe. Armies crumbling before them. Dark Magic empowering the army. Word that Camelot had sent Knights to try and negotiate…

She saw it all. She saw the Knights as they approached the castle. One of them was a woman wearing lighter armor and carrying a bow. Another was an older man wearing robes and carrying a staff, which reminded her of Gandalf the Grey.

 _"We seek an audience with King Sombra, in the hope of restoring peace."_

They were led to the Throne Room where… she saw him. Sombra. A sinister look on his face as he regarded the Knights who were brought before him. His ebony armor adding to his evil look. He stood up and approached the Knights.

 _"Peace? You come before me… one destined to rule the world… and talk of PEACE?"_

Sombra thrust his hand out and unleashed a wave of Dark Magic, knocking the Knights over.

 _"There will be NO peace. This world is MINE! All who stand against me will fall!"_

A battle soon began, the Knights thrown instantly on the defensive. But it wasn't long before the Knights started pushing back. The woman, Sunset could now see she had red hair, not only was able to hit "Sunset" with an arrow, she was able to land several into Sombra's chest. As Sombra fell, many of his soldiers convulsed as if something in them had been disrupted.

 _"You… You think you've won?"_ Sombra spat, casting a spell. _"One day… I… will return… and I will have my revenge against… your descendants!"_

With that last declaration, Sombra fell. And as far as Sunset could tell the world went black.

When she could see again, the scene had changed. They were in a cave of some sort. A pool of water near the back. A dark presence swept across the chamber.

 _"At last… That blasted creature masquerading as a human thought he could seal magic away to prevent my return..."_

 _"As we did in life, we serve you in death my lord."_

 _"I have searched the world for the power to restore me… Stonehenge was too well defended. Easter Island… far too remote… but here… on this… Mako Island… I have found a font of magic. Now… to learn its secrets and… to exact my revenge."_

 _"The world has changed my lord. Magic is virtually unknown. And I believe I sense the presence of a descendant. I shall seek them out as you will it."_

 _"The blood of the Knights' descendants shall fuel my return. The world may have forgotten about me… but I have not forgotten about the world. All will bow before King Sombra… or be destroyed!"_

* * *

Sunset recoiled as she pulled her hand away from the irate ghost.

"Sombra..." she trailed off.

"You may have magic, but you are all pathetic!" the ghost cackled. "King Sombra will destroy you all!"

"Been there, done that, got the T-Shirt," Rainbow Dash shot back. "Just ask Nightmare Moon!"

"You don't understand the gravity of your situation! You've already lost! The power of this island will be at its strongest at the height of the Full Moon! And fueled by Gwenevere's blood… King Sombra will walk the Earth once again! NONE CAN DEFY HIM! NONE CAN CHALLENGE HIS POWER! YOU WILL ALL KNEEL BEFORE HIM OR DIE!"

Sunset Shimmer clenched her teeth as she glared at the offending ghost.

"Not over yet," she spat as she stepped aside. "Box this creeper!"

Applejack triggered her trap, and the ghost was sucked back in. Rarity dispelled her shields and looked at the rest of the group. It was clear they were all shaken up. What little they know about this Sombra was rather dark. And now they knew who they were up against.

It was a Nightmare Moon level threat.

"Well… that was a thing…" Twilight trailed off. The rest of the girls had a mix of grim and worried expressions on their faces. Applejack picked up her trap and went to the Ecto-Van, intending to flush the ghost into the Porta-Slammer. After she finished, everyone went back up towards their rooms. Sunset bit her lip as she thought about what she learned. After sharing the information, everyone just stayed quiet. They were on the clock, and they had no idea how to proceed at all.

After what felt like forever, Twilight actually spoke up again.

"I got a theory I want to run by you girls," she said.

"Shoot," Rainbow Dash replied.

"I was thinking about what Sunset said. How she described a wizard with the Knights, and how Sombra used Dark Magic. That wouldn't make sense as our world shouldn't have magic."

"That's right..." Rarity spoke up. "Until we were exposed to Equestrian Magic, we didn't have any, or even knew anything about _real_ magic."

"Based on what Sunset told us she saw, the information we got from Kylie earlier… and the readings we've been getting on the PKE Meters here… I believe I can say for sure that… our world actually _had_ magic in the past. I mean think about it. Why would _we_ have magic?"

"Because we were exposed to Equestrian Magic?" Fluttershy suggested.

"I don't think that applies to Twilight as much," Pinkie Pie pointed out. "I mean she wasn't at Canterlot when Sunset brought over the Element of Magic. Hell… we didn't even know her until we met during the Friendship Games!"

For a moment everyone was silent again. But there was something that came to mind for Sunset. Her friends did seem to take to magic almost instantly after being exposed. If they were ordinary humans, why did they seem to adapt so quickly? She voiced this observation, causing Twilight to nod in response.

"Exactly. By all rights we're not magical creatures like Sunset. We're just… human. Yet..."

"We took t' Magic like a pig t' mud," Applejack finished. "Ah never thought about it honestly."

"If we assume that magic was a thing in our world… then… the reason we have magic, even if its Equestrian, is because magic is in our family history."

Twilight then adjusted her glasses and elaborated on her theory. She explained that humans do have genes inherited from their ancient ancestors, yet they are essentially dormant because they don't need them. Using that, she basically explained that their magic affinity was the same. They HAD the genes so to speak, they were just dormant until they got goosed by Equestrian Magic. Suddenly… the dormant magic affinity gene was switched on during the Fall Formal. And Twilight's was not only switched on at the Friendship Games, it got supercharged because she basically overdosed. It didn't apply to Sunset as she was _already_ a magical creature. The only issue for her was being a Unicorn in a Human body.

"Makes sense," Sunset finally said.

"So… how does this help stop this Samba guy?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Sombra," Rarity corrected. "But… that is a good question..."

* * *

Sonic, Manic, and Sonia were walking home from school, discussing what they could possibly do to help the Ghostbusters. So far two issues kept coming up. One was the fact that they were outsiders. They didn't know about magic. Being native to Westside Island, the triplets did have some of their own. Nowhere near that of Starlight Glimmer, but they still had some. But one thing you learned on Westside Island was to keep a secret. And the Island's magic was the _biggest_ secret. The other was… Sunset Shimmer. How could there be two of her? Sonic was honestly worried about the one _they_ knew. The redhead was reluctant to ask anyone for help, preferring to keep to herself. The only ones she would apparently open up to even remotely was Father Michael and Sonia. Sonic and Manic tried, but she always gave them the cold shoulder.

"Well… Rotor's Garage is certainly getting some business after the chaos on Main Street," Sonia said as she ran a hand through her magenta hair.

"Yup," Sonic replied as he stretched. "I heard the Ghostbusters were there too. They were actually zapping the ghosts with some kind of techno-pack things."

"Still… I don't know if we should tell them about..."

"We'll figure it out Sonia."

"I hope you're right. I've just never seen it so bad before."

Before either of the two brothers could comment on what their sister said, the trio was confronted by ghosts. Sonia hung back a bit as Sonic took a defensive stance. Manic looked a little nervous as he took note of the fact the ghosts were surrounding them.

The ghosts charged at them, and the triplets scattered. Sonic knew he couldn't fight something he couldn't touch, which aggravated him. They actually had the nerve to go after his family after all.

He turned to check on his siblings, and his eyes went wide. Manic was fine, having rolled off to the side, but the objective of the attack was made abundantly clear when he saw Sonia floating in the air as if being lifted up by her chest. They purposefully split them up.

Sonia touched down on the ground, eyes still closed, but Sonic could tell something was wrong. The young woman opened her eyes. Instead of their usual sapphire blue, they were a sickly green. Almost like slime, and the color of most of the ghosts they've seen. She seemed to examine herself as if seeing her own body for the first time.

"Uh… sis?" Sonic spoke up, attracting Sonia's attention.

Sonia looked at him, and it was painfully obvious to the athlete. Sonia Hedge was _not_ home.

"You will not interfere," she sneered, her voice a mix of her own and something else. She raised her hand and threw it out towards Sonic, sending a psychokinetic wave towards the blue haired boy and sending him flying into a tree. "Gwenevere will be brought before our lord. Neither you nor these so called Ghostbusters can stop us."

Sending another wave towards Manic, who was trying to sneak past her, Sonia walked away, followed by the other ghosts.

"Ow..." Manic groaned as he pushed himself up off the ground. Spotting his brother, he ran over to check on Sonic. "What the hell was that?"

"Pretty obvious Manic..." Sonic groaned as he rubbed his head. "We got owned. And they now have Sonia."

"Totally NOT cool bro..."

"No kidding. Guess that debate is rather moot now. We need the Ghostbusters."

"What did she mean about Gwenevere though?"

Sonic shook his head before blinking. He had a bad feeling.

"Trojan Horse..." he trailed off. "They're using Sonia to get at Sunset!"


	8. On the Clock

Chapter 8

On the Clock

"They took Sonia?!"

Principal Aleena's question hung in the air as her two sons explained the encounter. Sonic's theory that they would use Sonia to get at Sunset Shimmer was a good one, but the problem was finding her before they could make a move. And Westside Island wasn't small. And Aleena had a very bad feeling right now.

"Sonic, go tell Father Michael, then try and meet up with the Ghostbusters. They're at the hotel. Manic… go check on the emergency shelter at the school."

"What about..."

"Father Michael knows the Island better. He might be able to find Sonia and free her."

"Right..."

* * *

Twilight Sparkle was going through the box of grenades, trying to figure out if they should start carrying a few on their next patrol of Westside. In her mind she was working out various strategies that could try if and when they do find and confront Sombra. If they were somehow able to find that source of Magic on the island, which was where she figured he would most likely be, that instantly ruled out crossing the streams. The uncontrolled release of that much protonic energy could trigger a devastating chain reaction. In short this time it was just too risky. They may have survived once, but they weren't on top of the magical equivalent of a nuclear reactor at the time they did it.

She closed her eyes, leaned against the side of the Ecto-Van, and sighed. Bringing a hand to her pendant, the one made from the Geode that gravitated to her at Camp Everfree and imbued her with magical telekinetic ability, Twilight tried to relieve some stress that had built up since confirming who they were up against. Back during the Nightmare Moon Incident, any downtime she had was eaten up by working to improve the Proton Packs. She had been busy and didn't have time to think about what they were up against. This time, however, she didn't have that luxury. All the research in the world wasn't going to do anything right now, and there really wasn't much else to do to the Proton Packs. Also she didn't have her equipment or a work space anyways.

Opening her eyes, Twilight took a chance and used her magic to pull out a slime grenade from the box and examine it from various angles before dropping it into her hand.

"What _is_ our next move?" she sighed.

Putting the grenade back in the box, Twilight closed up the Ecto-Van and looked up into the sky, noting that it was starting to get dark.

"Guess there's not much we can do right now," she said to herself. "Best to try in the morning when we've got a full day and some rest."

With a stretch, Twilight headed back into the hotel.

* * *

"Sonia was possessed by a spirit?" Father Michael asked.

"Yea… and I don't know where she is," Sonic replied.

Taking a deep breath, Father Michael stood up from behind his desk and went over to a cabinet. Opening it up, he pulled out some items that he would need to perform an exorcism on the go along with some magic artifacts to help restrain Sonia.

"Starlight… stay here," he said.

"I can help!" Starlight Glimmer protested as she reached for a staff, only for Father Michael to cut her off.

"A descendant of Merlin you may be Starlight, but you don't know how to deal with a possession. Stay here where it is safe. If anything happens, the spirits cannot enter the Church because it is sacred ground. Sonic… stay here. Starlight can protect you."

"Oh no. I am not gonna sit around and do nothing while my sister is out there!" Sonic protested. "I'm gonna go find the Ghostbusters..."

"They can't help us!"

Father Michael pointed at the blue haired athlete after snapping at him. It was clear the preacher was under a lot of sudden stress. He said that this was a matter for the Order to deal with. Outsiders, even those who showed some skill like the Ghostbusters, would only get in the way when it came to Sonia. He fully intended to find the young woman, even if it took all night to do it.

* * *

The sun was just about down when Sunset Shimmer heard a knock at her door. Throwing on her favorite brown jacket, she opened the door and found Sonia.

"Isn't it getting a little late Sonia?" she asked.

"Its not a school night," Sonia replied as she put a hand on her hip. "Come on. I know a good spot to do some stargazing."

Sunset narrowed her eyes. While Sonia had made attempts to get her out, this was a bit more forward than the last time. Not only that… something just felt off right now. And why did Sonia's eyes seem a bit different?

"I don't know," Sunset finally said. "I mean I'm still kinda the outsider here and with everything going on..."

"Sunset… when you're not at school, you're cooped up in this stuffy, little house," Sonia countered. "You really do need to get some fresh air."

After a moment, Sunset closed her eyes and sighed.

"Aye..." she replied. "I am kinda getting antsy just sitting around."

As she stepped out and locked up, Sunset didn't notice the smirk on Sonia's face. Sunset still couldn't help but feel something was off about all this as they walked down the driveway towards the street. That feeling was confirmed when the pair were suddenly surrounded by ghosts and… Sonia didn't react at all. As Sunset tried to bolt for her house, Sonia suddenly grabbed her and spun her around. It was at that moment that Sunset finally got a good look at Sonia's eyes. They were green rather than the usual blue. And the look on her face went from friendly to aggressive.

"You're not getting away _this_ time Gwenevere," Sonia said in a dark tone. "King Sombra would very much like to meet you."

"Let me go!" Sunset protested as she tried to pull away.

"Not going to be saved by some preacher or Teenage girl with a magic pack this time."

Sunset tried again to break away before noticing the ghosts were closing in. Gritting her teeth, Sunset braced herself and shifted her stance.

"I'm sorry Sonia," she said.

"For what?" Sonia replied in confusion.

"For this."

Sunset suddenly shifted her weight, and threw Sonia completely off balance. The desperate act was enough to throw both girls to the ground, with Sunset on top. With her free hand, she swung at Sonia's head in an attempt to at least disorient the magenta haired young woman. Sonia Hedge had been the closest thing to a friend Sunset Shimmer had on Westside Island, and having to attack her like this hurt. But whatever was going on… whoever this was… it wasn't Sonia Hedge.

Sonia recoiled, looking dazed, but her grip loosened enough for Sunset to break free. With the ghosts blocking her path back home, Sunset bolted down the street. If she could just reach the Church…

She felt something grab her, and her feet were no longer touching the ground. Crying out in defiance, Sunset tried to lash out at the offending entity, only to discover that there were two of them carrying her now.

"Take her to King Sombra at once," Sonia ordered after recovering. "The rest of you… lay siege to the town. That should distract the mages and those… Ghostbusters."

"By your order Commander."

As the ghosts flew off, Sonia had a dark smile on her face.

"It has been a long time since I took part in a siege..."

* * *

Spike yawned as he stretched out on the arm of the couch in the hotel. There hadn't been much for him to do after the girls arrived on Westside Island besides trade glares with Slimer. Speaking of the spud, Slimer was actually sleeping on Applejack's stomach while the country girl was asleep herself, her hat pulled over her eyes. The consensus had been to hit the street hard in the morning, so the girls decided to get some sleep.

Rolling his eyes, Spike stood up and shook himself before preparing to jump down to the floor. It was going to be a long, boring night from the looks of things, and Spike was kinda thirsty right now. At least Slimer wasn't interested in dog food, otherwise the spud and Spike would have even more issues.

Just as he jumped to the floor, there was a flash of green from outside. All thoughts of looking for his water dish left his mind as Spike narrowed his eyes and walked over by the window. Hopping up onto the nearby chair, and from there onto the windowsill, Spike looked out at the island landscape. It was certainly a lot different from Canterlot. As he was starting to think he was seeing things, another flash happened, followed by several more.

Something was wrong. VERY wrong.

"Ooooohhhh..." Spike trailed off before jumping down and rushing into the bedroom where Twilight was sleeping. The act caused Slimer to open an eye and watch the dog before muttering and closing his eye again… until he too saw the green flash from outside. Grumbling, Slimer floated up off Applejack's stomach and over to the window, and saw what was going on.

Spike jumped onto the bed and started pushing against the resident science girl.

"Twilight! Wake up! Something's happening!" Spike pleaded.

"Not now Spike..." Twilight groaned, still half asleep as she rolled over.

Growling a bit, Spike bit into the blankets and yanked them off, causing Twilight to try and grab for them. Spitting out the blankets, Spike started barking.

"Somebody shut that dog up!" Applejack protested from the other room. "Ah'm tryin' t' sleep here!"

"Spike! What the hell are you doing?" Twilight snapped as she sat up and reached for the blanket, only for Spike to pull it farther away.

"Something's happening Twilight! Look outside!"

"Spike… if this is about some squirrel outside taunting you..."

Just then Slimer flew in waving his arms and babbling before pointing towards the window, looking a little freaked out. Narrowing her eyes to try and focus, Twilight reached for her glasses and got out of bed.

"Seriously guys… we're trying to sleep. I swear if its a squirrel you're _both_ sleeping in the van..."

Twilight slipped her glasses on, brushed some hair out of her face, and adjusted said glasses before walking out and looking outside.

"Nothing..." she deadpanned. "You woke me up for..."

A green flash happened again, and Twilight blinked in surprise. As more happened, she managed to pinpoint that the flashes were coming from the town. It took a moment for her brain to catch up to what she was seeing, and her eyes went wide. Twilight turned towards Applejack, who was still trying to sleep, and levitated the blonde's hat off her head.

"Hey!" Applejack protested as she glared at Twilight. "What th' hell ya doin'?"

"Wake the girls," Twilight said. "We got a problem."

A few minutes, and one pissed off Rarity later, the girls were all gathered in the big room watching the flashes from town. Slimer had taken the liberty of waking the fashionista up himself… by kissing her full on. Waking up to slime on the mouth was not fun, and she made sure to vocalize her… _displeasure_. But the moment she saw the flashes from the town, Rarity forgot about the violation.

For several minutes, the girls just watched in shock before Sunset clenched her fist.

"Girls… get your gear," she said. "And get caffeinated. Its gonna be a long night."

Pinkie Pie, who was in nothing but her underwear for some reason, saluted and bolted out the door. Rainbow Dash facepalmed as she voiced that observation. Just as Pinkie returned with bottles of soda, Applejack pointed out her current… situation. The party girl took one look at herself and just gave a sheepish grin before rushing back to her room. As the rest of the team went to get dressed, Sunset looked out the window, a determined look crossing her face. Sombra was making a move. And it caught the Ghostbusters completely off guard.

Several minutes later, and at least two donuts for Pinkie Pie, the girls were rushing down the hall and through the lobby. Slimer and Spike were right on their heels, the spud actually scaring a few people on the way. Without slowing down, the girls vaulted into the Ecto-Van, and Applejack fired up the vehicle. As they pulled out of the parking lot, the lights and sirens went on. Barreling down the road, Applejack saw something up ahead and called it out.

"Roadblock?" Sunset asked.

"Maybe," Applejack replied. "Ghostly one at that too."

Rarity released her seatbelt and climbed up between the front seats and raised a hand.

"Blow through," she said. "We don't have time to play around."

Biting her lip, Applejack stepped on the gas. As the Ecto-Van sped up, three diamond shaped barriers formed in front of the vehicle. Rarity grit her teeth as she struggled to keep the shields moving at the same speed as the van. Just as the ghosts were about to attack, the Ecto-Van blew through their blockade, the ghosts themselves going splat against Rarity's shield and sliding off and away. As soon as they were clear, Rarity released the shields and slumped against the passenger's seat a bit.

"That was a thing..." she said.

"Yea… I guess..." Sunset started to say.

Without warning… the world went sideways.


	9. Cut Loose

Chapter 9

Cut Loose

The Ecto-Van skidded to a stop on its side, the siren dying off while the lights continued to flash. Inside, everyone was enveloped in violet light as Twilight panicked the second the van started to tip over. Although still shaken up, everyone was… relatively ok. Rarity found herself suspended in the air for a moment before dropping down onto the side of Applejack's seat while Sunset was suspended in her own seat by the seat belt.

"Are we dead?" Rainbow Dash groaned.

"Kinda wish we were right now..." Sunset replied slowly as she brought a hand to her head. "What happened?"

"Felt like we got hit," Applejack groaned as she released her seat belt and fell against the driver's side door.

Pinkie Pie shook her head before freeing herself from her seat and putting a hand on the side door that was above her. After a minute she tried to open up, but couldn't. It felt like it was wedged a bit. Rarity joined her, but still wasn't able to make it budge. Applejack groaned as she climbed over and took a look. There was a sizable dent in the door. Calling for the girls to back up a bit, Applejack cocked her arm back and struck the dent with a palm strike, intending to flatten it out a bit, before forcing the door open.

Twilight recovered, and managed to find her glasses. One lens was cracked, but not somewhere where it would impede her vision. Applejack took her hat off and tossed it up onto the side of the van before pulling herself up enough to pop her head outside.

There was a battle line of ghosts aiming spectral weapons at the van waiting for her.

"Ghostbusters! Surrender in the name of King Sombra or die!"

Applejack ducked back down into the van.

"We got problems," she drawled.

Sunset freed herself from her seat, dropping down into the driver's side before shaking her head.

"I heard. Got any ideas?"

Twilight shook her head for a moment before asking how many ghosts were out there. Applejack's response was not reassuring to the other girls. The resident scientist, on the other hand, made her way to the box in the back. Fluttershy asked what she was doing, and Twilight's only response was to pry it open and grab one of the Proton Grenades. After a minute to look at it, she tossed it over to the pink haired girl and grabbed a few more.

"These should buy us enough time to get out and catch most of them," Twilight said as she looked at the open door. After a moment the rest of the girls got their Proton Packs on and nodded. Twilight again looked at the grenade before asking for a boost. As soon as Rainbow Dash and Applejack got into position, Twilight took a deep breath. Violet energy enveloped her hands, and all the grenades she had pulled out.

The lead ghost was getting impatient. Just as he was about to order his forces to attack, a voice called out from the fallen vehicle.

"Don't shoot! We surrender!"

Sure enough, one of the Ghostbusters emerged with hands raised in the typical sign of surrender. However… her hands were glowing, and tilted back almost like she was holding something over her head. Once the upper half of her body was clear, her hands went vertical, and out of the van came several smaller objects glowing the same color as her hands. After a moment she threw her hands forward, and the objects were flung at the ghosts. These objects, small cylinders, landed on the ground around the ghosts, who just looked at them in confusion. Was this how people surrendered these days? Throw small things at their conquerors?

It was a calculated risk, but Twilight hoped that the ghosts wouldn't be familiar with grenades. As soon as she released them, Twilight ducked back down inside the van. Shortly after, several loud, electrical pops were heard, along with panicked cries from the ghosts. Rainbow Dash and Applejack vaulted out of the van and opened fire with their Proton Packs, discovering that Twilight's grenades worked. As each member of the team emerged, the chaos increased until only the lead ghost was left. Soon after, he got sucked into a trap and the street fell silent.

"Guess we're on foot from here," Sunset sighed as she picked up one of the traps. "Lets salvage what we can and empty the traps in the Slammer."

"Lets make for the Church," Rarity suggested. "From there we can head for Westside High."

Applejack grabbed her hat and put it back on as she looked at the Ecto-Van. With a sigh, she put a hand on the vehicle and just patted it. While she could probably right the van, she didn't trust it to run properly after what they just went through. Twilight started to distribute her grenades, making sure to mix in some Slime alongside the Proton, just in case.

* * *

Father Michael cringed as he fell to the ground. He had underestimated the spirit possessing Sonia. Not only did it have power of its own, it was tapping into Sonia's innate magic as well. Just as she prepared another attack, Father Michael threw up a quick shield spell, deflecting most of the attack. Unfortunately, the attack slammed into a nearby tree, and splintered part of the trunk, sending pieces of wood everywhere. One piece jabbed into his already weakened leg, caused by Sonia's ambush, causing him to grunt in pain.

"Pathetic," Sonia said as she approached him. "And you call yourself a mage."

"Fight it Sonia!" Father Michael called out. "You're stronger than that spirit within you!"

Sonia brought a hand to her chest, her expression showing mock surprise before throwing her head back and laughing.

"Oh you have no _idea_ how she is _screaming_ right now. Its almost giving me a headache. But a neophyte mage like her can't overpower one of Sombra's own lieutenants."

Father Michael grit his teeth as he tried to think of a way to save Sonia from the Possession without harming her. Unfortunately his options were limited, and she wasn't going to sit still long enough for him to try anything.

There was a rustle of bushes nearby, but he wasn't paying attention. Probably more spirits with his luck. However, he was surprised to see the girl he spoke with emerge, wearing a gray jumpsuit and some kind of pack. What was her name again? Twilight Sparkle? Yes. That was her name.

Her hair was somewhat messy, and she looked like she had been in a fight. And she wasn't alone. Others emerged as well, including the other young woman he spoke to. Rarity Belle. They also had a small dog and a rather fat, green ghost with them.

Sonia didn't even pay attention and continued to advance.

"You will not stand in King Sombra's way..." she started to say.

"Sonia Hedge? What are you doing out here?" Rainbow Dash called out. "And… isn't that the preacher dude Twilight told us about?"

Sonia stopped her advance and had a bored expression on her face before turning and unleashing a devastating psychokinetic blast towards the group. Caught completely off guard by the sudden declaration of war, all seven Ghostbusters were thrown off their feet and to the ground. One of the first to recover was Rainbow Dash, who actually rolled a bit on impact to get back to her knees at least.

"Whoa! What's your problem?" Rainbow Dash called out.

"This foe is beyond you!" Father Michael spoke up. "Sonia has been possessed!"

Sunset shook her head as she pushed herself to her feet and glared at Sonia. If what Father Michael said was true…

As the team recovered, Sonia advanced on them. The possessed young woman made an annoyed sound before saying that they were just annoying insects getting in the way. Just as Sonia was about to unleash another Psychokinetic Blast, Rarity jumped in front of everyone, braced herself, and summoned a diamond shaped shield large enough to cover the team. The Blast impacted against the shield, causing Rarity to grunt as she focused on holding the shield. This unexpected turn of events not only surprised Sonia, but Father Michael as well. Now the reactions of his charms made sense. Rarity Belle didn't possess a magic artifact. She had magic of her own! But a form he was not familiar with.

Twilight watched as Sonia unleashed Blast after Blast in an attempt to break Rarity's shield. The Fashionista was nothing if not stubborn, but the effort to maintain the shield was becoming more visible on her face. The girls never really practiced how to use their magic in a combat situation like this. For a moment Twilight was wondering why Sonia was attacking them like this, before Father Michael's words came to her.

Possession.

This was the Ghostbusters first encounter with a Possessor Spirit. And Twilight had an idea.

"Distract her," Twilight said to the group. "I need a clear shot."

"What are we supposed to do?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Dress in Drag and do the Hula?"

"Just keep her focus on you," Twilight replied.

Pinkie gave an exaggerated salute before dashing off to the left, past Rarity's shield. She then started taunting Sonia, drawing the possessed girl's attention away from everyone. As Sonia tried and failed to nail the unpredictable party girl, Twilight dashed off to the right to get into a position behind Sonia. She holstered her Neutrona Wand and pulled one of the cylinders off her belt. If she was right…

Twilight Sparkle pulled the pin on the Slime Grenade, and cooked it in her hand for a couple seconds before lobbing it directly at Sonia. The idea was to have it detonate in midair near her, ensuring maximum spread of the Slime for maximum coverage. And with it being positively charged Slime…

Sonia, having heard movement behind her, turned just in time for the Slime Grenade to detonate virtually in her face. The viscous substance spread from the point of detonation, coating Sonia from head to toe. Just before she was fully coated, there was a cry of pain as the ghost within her emerged and flew up into the air as if it had been scalded. Before it could react, the ghost was caught in the Capture Streams of Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy. Wasn't long before Rainbow Dash joined in, tossing her trap in the process.

"Come on! I'm takin' you home to my own personal zoo!" Rainbow Dash taunted as she helped pull the ghost into range and watched with a satisfied smirk as it got sucked in.

Sonia blinked, standing frozen in place wondering what the hell just happened. Slime was dripping off of her for a minute before she looked at herself and recoiled in disgust.

"Ew! What is this?!" she freaked out.

"Sorry," Twilight replied as she approached the slimy girl. "I kinda had to hit you with a grenade full of positively charged slime to drive the possessor ghost out of your body."

Sonia just gave the scientist a slimy, deadpan look.

"We had t' slime ya t' get th' ghost out," Applejack translated. "Yer welcome."

As the girls tried to help at least clean some of the slime off Sonia, Rarity approached Father Michael and started giving First Aid. She was caught off guard as the preacher smiled and put a hand on her arm.

"It seems there's more to you and your friends than I thought," he said.

"Well… we're just full of surprises," Rarity replied as she removed the debris from his leg and quickly bound it. "Best I can do until we get you inside."

"Will have to do for now," Father Michael said with a nod as Applejack approached and offered a hand. He was surprised by the country girl's strength as she practically supported his entire weight as if it was nothing.

Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes for a moment as she went over recent events in her mind. This was war, and now they had no choice.

"No holding back anymore girls," she said, opening her eyes and tightening her grip on her Neutrona Wand. "We hit them with _everything_ we got."

"Everything?" Fluttershy asked timidly.

"Everything," Sunset confirmed. "Proton Packs alone aren't going to stop Sombra. Time to cut loose."

Rainbow Dash had a growing grin on her face before punching the air in excitement.

"Yea! Time to Rock and Roll!" she exclaimed.

Sunset couldn't help but smile as she thought of the words to a song she liked.

 _They see you as small and helpless;  
They see you as just a child.  
Surprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild._

It was time to run wild. With a nod, Sunset made a show of priming her Neutrona Wand. The other girls, other than Applejack, followed suit before heading out towards the Church. If Sombra wanted a war… he was going to get one.


	10. Knights of Canterlot High

Chapter 10

Knights of Canterlot High

"They will not be able to pursue us into the church," Father Michael said as the group broke from the trees and ran for it. "It is sacred ground."

"Dash! Get the civilians inside," Sunset ordered. "Everyone else, start blasting!"

Rainbow Dash nodded before taking over for Applejack and helped the preacher towards the church doors. Sonia helped as well until they reached the door, where she managed to open it and pull them inside. Sonic and Starlight blinked in surprise at the new arrivals, having barricaded themselves inside due to the chaos erupting outside. As soon as Starlight saw Father Michael, she ran over and helped him into one of the pews.

"What happened?" she asked.

"The spirit within Sonia was much stronger than I anticipated," Father Michael replied. "If not for the timely intervention of the Ghostbusters..."

At the mention of the mainlanders, Starlight looked over at Rainbow Dash. The chromatic haired athlete was leaning against the door frame and fidgeting with her Neutrona Wand. It was clear she was both nervous and anxious. As Sonic tended to his sister, a lot of things were going through Starlight Glimmer's mind. Back on Main Street, the Ghostbusters had proved that they were able to fight. Now here they were, again fighting a battle that was not their own. If Sombra had returned, this was a matter for the Order to deal with. But at the same time…

Starlight closed her eyes before putting a hand on Father Michael's shoulder for a moment. After he returned the gesture, she opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry I failed you Father Michael," she sighed. "I… I was an idiot. A self-centered, stubborn idiot. You deserve better for an apprentice."

"While you have been difficult Starlight," Father Michael replied. "You haven't failed me. You just needed to learn a very important lesson."

The next thing he said shocked Starlight. Revealing that many of the Ghostbusters seem to have an unknown form of magic themselves. After a moment, Starlight thought back to Main Street, and how the Cowgirl was able to shift the cars away from their van _by herself_. Getting to her feet, Starlight approached Rainbow Dash.

"Is it true?" she asked. "You have magic?"

"Equestrian magic, but yea," the Ghostbuster replied. "We're still getting used to it."

Starlight looked out the door at the battle in progress, unsure what to do herself. Rainbow Dash surprised her by putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I get it," Rainbow Dash said. "Nothing's making any sense. You're island's being attacked by ancient ghosts, all hell's breaking loose, and I'm running around with a nuclear accelerator on my back. Trust me… I understand how crazy this is. But I gotta go out there and help my friends."

She pulled her hand away from Starlight and took hold of her Neutrona Wand again. Apparently the athlete had put two and two together and figured out Starlight was a magic user as well.

"If you wanna stay here… I won't hold it against you. We're good. But if you go out there… you hit those ghosts with everything you got. You walk out that door… you're a Ghostbuster."

Starlight bit her lip, unsure how to even respond. Rainbow Dash had just declared her intention to fight, even against overwhelming odds. And if a mainlander was willing to do that…

"Good talk..." Rainbow Dash trailed off as she looked back at the others and gave them a bit of a smirk. "Hey Sonic! Wanna see something cool?"

As soon as she had the attention of the Hedge siblings, Rainbow Dash took a couple steps away from the open door… then bolted outside almost as if she was shot out of a cannon, a rainbow colored trail left in her wake. Sonia blinked in shock, while Sonic…

"She… she's as fast as I am..." he trailed off. "An athletic girl… who can actually keep up with me."

"Oh boy… I think my brother is in love..." Sonia sighed and hung her head.

Starlight again closed her eyes. After a moment, she clenched a fist. Her mind was made up. Opening her eyes, she turned and headed in deeper into the Church and retrieved her staff. Taking a moment to just look over the old artifact, she again closed her eyes and nodded.

"No more..." she said to herself, before calling out to Sonia and Sonic.

* * *

Twilight ducked under a ghost before raising her hand and catching it in her magic and flinging it towards Rarity, who threw up a shield to catch it and slam it into a deployed trap. Just as the resident scientist was about to vent her pack, she turned and saw a ghost about to impale her on a spectral spear before it… froze solid. And not from a Stasis Stream. Looking past the ghostcicle, Twilight blinked and adjusted her glasses. Standing in the doorway was Starlight Glimmer, staff in hand and a cyan energy field engulfing her free hand. After a moment she swung her hand towards another ghost, and an ice bolt lanced out to spear it.

Starlight Glimmer, resident mage of Westside Island, had joined the fight. Behind her was Sonia and Sonic Hedge. Something was going on, but right now they had bigger problems to deal with. With the addition of Starlight, the tide turned in favor of the Ghostbusters until they were finally able to clear out the area and catch a break.

"Ok… I think its safe to say this is it," Sunset said. "Endgame. Sombra's ramping it up."

"So it truly is Sombra..." Starlight trailed off before looking off towards Westside High. "This is a diversion. He knows you won't ignore innocent lives. Which means..."

"Westside High is gonna get hammered," Sonia finished before holding up a hand. "Its the biggest emergency shelter on the Island. Just about everyone will be there."

"But we ain't got time!" Applejack groaned. "If Sombra's goin' all out, and he's got Sunset's counterpart..."

Sunset turned to Slimer and Spike.

"I know you two don't like each other, but I got a really important job for you," she said.

Starlight wondered why she was speaking to a dog of all things, until said dog spoke up saying he wasn't sure about it. Sunset then explained that they couldn't be in two places at once.

"Look… we can't spare anyone to go to human Sunset's house. Its up to you guys," she said. "I need you two to go there, and get Gwenevere's Bow. Call it a hunch, but I have a feeling we're gonna need it. We'll meet you back at Westside High."

Slimer and Spike looked at each other for a moment as if considering turning the redhead down before reluctantly agreeing. Twilight then stepped in and described the Bow, as well as where it was. She also explained that there was a salt barrier that would most likely block Slimer, so Spike would have to find a way inside to help Slimer. After everything was said and done, Twilight handed Slimer the address, then the spud swooped down, grabbed Spike, and shot off on the mission.

"Ok… so you're in the fight now," Sunset said, turning to face Starlight. "Before you ask, its a long story. Right now we gotta deal with these ghosts."

"I have an idea. I can cast a shield spell over the school. But… in order for it to be big enough I would need to channel it. But seeing as how I know the Island better than you… I have to be with you," Starlight said. "That's where Sonia and Sonic come in. Together with their brother Manic, they can channel the spell I cast, and hold it long enough for us to do what needs to be done. If they spread out equally… the strain will be minimal."

Being more familiar with magic, Sunset considered the plan and nodded in response. She then called for everyone to get moving. They could talk on the way.

* * *

Slimer and Spike arrived at Sunset Shimmer's house and looked around. There was no dog door so getting in was going to be more interesting. Slimer decided to try and phase through, only to, rather comically, slam head first and pancake against the wall. Spike thought for a moment before looking up at the windows. One of them looked like it was cracked open a bit.

"Slimer! Think you can do something about that?" he called out. The ghost shook himself back into shape and flew over to examine the window. There was just enough room to slip his fingers in, but there was a screen in the way, and Slimer could feel his hands just stop as if hitting a solid object just inside the window. Muttering gibberish, Slimer pried the screen off before getting at least the tips of his fingers under the window and pulling up. It wasn't easy, but he was able to slide it up enough to fit Spike through. Helping the dog up, Slimer watched as Spike jumped in.

Looking around the unfamiliar house, Spike felt a little lost. Turning around, he sniffed the area and found something along the floorboards. Assuming that was the barrier Twilight mentioned, Spike narrowed his eyes before just deciding to dig it out. It took a bit to make a break in the line with his short legs, but Spike was able to do it and called out to Slimer. The ghost slipped in and shuddered as if he went through something.

"Ok… we're in. Now to find this bow..." Spike said. Slimer agreed before pointing over towards the front door and talking gibberish. It took a moment for Spike to figure out Slimer wanted him to remove the salt barrier in front of that so they could use the door to get out with their prize. As the pair split up, Slimer found the carrying case and swooped in close. He could feel magic coming off of what was inside. Carefully opening the case, Slimer found the Bow.

"Oooooooo..." he said as he carefully picked it up. With a satisfied nod, Slimer flew over towards the door, and found Spike had cleared it out. Opening the door, the pair slipped out. Being the nice guy that he was, Slimer made sure to close the door behind him before grabbing Spike and shooting off towards Westside High.

* * *

The Ghostbusters watched as a battering ram was readied to assault the front door to Westside High. The problem was they were still too far to do anything without being spotted.

"Now what?" Fluttershy asked timidly.

After a moment, Applejack just asked for the disk trap.

"Ok… seriously… you think you can throw anything _that_ far?" Starlight asked. "There's no way it will make it!"

"Ah can make th' shot," Applejack said confidently as Twilight handed over the trap. "If ah can hit th' door, them ghosts will charge right into th' trigger zone and bam! Sucked in on their own."

Holding up a hand to counter any further argument, Applejack lifted the disk trap and got a feel for it before sticking her tongue out the corner of her mouth while lining up her shot. While it wasn't archery, or even using a Proton Pack, Applejack was still pretty good with accuracy. Once she was satisfied, she pulled her arm back, and threw the disk like a frisbee.

Just as the battering ram moved back a bit, the disk trap bounced off the ground, flipped a couple times, and attached itself to the front door. The ghosts, not noticing the danger, charged. As soon as they entered the detection radius, the trap opened up, and a vortex sucked all the ghosts in. The battering ram, having lost its transportation, dropped and just bonked into the bottom of the doors as the disk trap closed and chirped.

Applejack just crossed her arms over her chest and gave Starlight a smug grin. The rest of the team gave each other high fives before moving in. Twilight retrieved the disk trap and secured it to the side of her Proton Pack before levitating the battering ram and tossing it aside. Sunset, meanwhile, knocked on the door and announced that the Ghostbusters were there. The door opened, revealing Manic Hedge and his mother, Principal Aleena.

"Sorry we're late," Sunset said with a shrug. "Kinda got hung up for a bit."

Soon after, Starlight was explaining the plan to Manic and Principal Aleena. While the Hedge siblings were not as powerful as Starlight, it was generally agreed that whenever the three of them worked together, there really wasn't anything they couldn't do. After securing some radios from the PE teacher, the three spread out equally around the school's perimeter. Before Starlight could start casting the spell, Slimer and Spike arrived.

"Good boy Spike," Twilight exclaimed as she knelt down and picked him up, embracing her canine companion affectionately. She then turned to Sonia and offered Spike to her. "Its dangerous where we're going. Can you take care of Spike for me while we're gone?"

"Of course," Sonia said with a smile as she accepted the talking dog and set him down next to her.

Starlight closed her eyes and held the staff before her. After a moment, a shield started to form around the school. Sonia signaled to her brothers to start channeling before spreading her arms out towards the barrier. While she was no expert, she knew that it would take the strain off Starlight. Soon enough there was a dome over the school, and Starlight was free to let it go.

"Good luck out there," Sonia said.

"Thanks," Sunset replied.

As the group turned to leave, Starlight looked up into the sky for a moment.

"This was never your fight," she said. "And yet… here you are. Fighting all the same."

"Principal Aleena called us in," Twilight explained. "So… we're on a job. This _is_ our fight."

Starlight nodded and approached Twilight, intending to offer a handshake. Symbolically it was to say that she accepted them. Just before their hands met, Starlight's staff lit up, catching the young woman off guard.

"Oooo… pretty," Pinkie Pie chirped.

"I've… only seen the staff do this once before," Starlight said. "When Father Michael discovered I was a descendant of Merlin. Which means..."

Twilight Sparkle blinked in confusion before pulling her glasses off and cleaning them.

"Wait a second," Sunset cut in. "Are you saying you think Twilight is also a descendant of Merlin?"

"This was Merlin's staff. So it would react to the presence of a descendant," Starlight replied. "And I remember Father Michael saying there was a branch of Merlin's family that seemed to just… cut off as if they lost track of them."

Twilight thought for a moment. In her mind she was freaking out at the idea. But her scientific side kicked in and analyzed the possibility. If she was right about magic being in their family history, it could make sense considering how strong she was without as much exposure as the others. After a moment she shook her head.

"We're figure it out later. Right now we need to find Sombra," Twilight said.

"Yea," Sunset agreed. "If what I saw when I touched that ghost was true… we're looking for something like a moon pool."

"It is said there is one in the center of the island, connected to the ocean through underwater tunnels. But there should also be a cave that leads to it. Father Michael might know where the entrance is… but… I… don't," Starlight said with a sigh.

As this was going on, Fluttershy saw something out of the corner of her eye and walked over towards the treeline to investigate.


	11. Legend made Real

Chapter 11

Legend made Real

Fluttershy bit her lip as she approached the treeline. Her grip on her Neutrona Wand almost white knuckle. She thought she saw movement in the trees and was worried that it might be another ghost waiting in ambush.

What she found took her breath away.

It was the most beautiful little horse she had ever seen. In fact, it could pass for either a small horse or a large pony. The coat was almost glowing it was so well cared for. Lowering her Neutrona Wand, Fluttershy carefully approached the animal.

"I'm not going to hurt you," she said, knowing that her own magic would translate into something the horse would understand. The one odd thing that stuck in her mind though was not seeing any evidence that anyone on the island owned a horse.

 _"You have a kind soul,"_ the horse replied as soon as Fluttershy's hand brushed up against its nose. _"Unlike the spirits, I have nothing to fear from you."_

"You… you know about the ghosts?" Fluttershy asked in surprise.

 _"Yes. And… I can help you find where they are coming from."_

Fluttershy thought for a moment. It seemed strange, but she felt she could trust this little horse. As if to reassure the young animal lover, the horse nuzzled up against her arm and torso in a show of trust.

"Do you have a name?"

 _"Epona."_

"I hope you can help us Epona. And after we're done, I'll help you find your owner. I'm sure they're worried about you."

* * *

After a few minutes, Pinkie Pie noticed that Fluttershy was missing and voiced that observation. It wasn't long before Fluttershy returned with a small horse. For some reason it looked like Slimer was both awestruck and on edge, but the pink haired girl seemed genuinely relaxed and calm. Starlight filled her in on what was discussed in her absence, and Fluttershy replied that Epona could guide them to the cave the ghosts were coming from. Figuring it was better than nothing, the girls agreed. Although it was clear that Applejack and Rainbow Dash were not taking any chances. At the first sign of a betrayal they fully intended to retaliate.

Epona guided them down winding paths towards the center of the island, Fluttershy translating for her as they went. Sunset, however, seemed oddly on edge in Epona's presence. But not in a bad way. For some reason she felt… a connection with Epona. After a moment she shook her head and tried to focus on the task at hand and brushed it off as a feeling of kinship or something due to her origins as an Equestrian Unicorn.

After what felt like forever, and the fact that it had gotten darker, the group arrived near a clearing and hunkered down among the trees. There, in the rock face, was a cave guarded by a pair of ghosts.

 _"This is as far as I can go,"_ Epona said. _"The rest… is up to you. Be safe young one."_

Fluttershy smiled and gave Epona an affectionate rub before letting the horse go. Epona turned to leave, but stopped and looked directly at Sunset. The resident baconhair blinked in confusion.

"Uh… why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.

 _"Goddess continue to watch over you young mare, Bearer of Courage."_

"Um… what was that?" Sunset asked as Epona left. "Did she say something to _me?_ "

"I… honestly don't know what to make of what she said..." Fluttershy trailed off. "Something about a goddess watching over you and calling you a 'Bearer of Courage'."

Sunset instantly brought a hand to the pendant hanging around her neck under her jumpsuit. How did Epona know about the Element of Courage? After a moment she dropped her hand, took a deep breath, and drew her Neutrona Wand. They didn't have time to figure out what was going on. It was time to fight.

* * *

Epona watched as the Ghostbusters opened fire on the sentries outside the cave. With a smile, the equine form morphed into that of a beautiful redhead woman wearing a celtic dress. She knew the truth about Sunset Shimmer. Both of them. The one that lived here had celtic blood in her veins, the visitor… was from the same world Merlin called home.

"I am sorry I cannot help you young mare," Epona sighed. "But… my time has passed. I cannot intervene directly anymore. I can only guide. You must be the one to take action. I will watch over you while you live in our world Sunset Shimmer. Just as I have since you first arrived. I am glad you turned your life around. And I am sorry I could not help you more. This is your tale young mare."

Epona looked up into the sky before closing her eyes and smiling.

"Many more adventures await you in the future. And together with your friends… your _knights_ … you can face any challenge."

* * *

Sombra basked in the glory of his coming victory. Gwenevere's descendant hung suspended over the Moon Pool, glaring daggers at the ghostly King. She not only had her ancestor's hair, she had her defiance.

In his mind...Typical Celt.

"Not long now..." Sombra said as his shadowy form started to coalesce into a more humanoid figure. "Soon… I will live again."

The only response was for Gwenevere's descendant to spit obscenities at him in her native Irish.

A dark hand reached out, and placed a finger under Sunset's chin.

"Such language is unbecoming of such beauty my dear," Sombra said as his form fully manifested, revealing a man with charcoal skin and dark eyes wearing armor the color of the darkest night. "It is a shame you must die to enable my return. I would have loved one such as you to be my Queen."

Sunset shifted her head away from Sombra and continued to will lasers to shoot from her eyes and vaporize this creeper.

"Keep yer bloody hands offa me," she growled before Sombra grabbed her by the neck, choking off any further verbal assault.

"I am a _King_ you whelp," he growled. "I do as I please."

With that he let her go and started to stalk around the chamber.

* * *

Sunset Shimmer and the Ghostbusters took cover before poking their heads out and watching the exchange between Sombra and human Sunset. Starlight Glimmer was the most visibly affected as she bit her lip and tightened her grip on her staff.

"I-its him..." Starlight stuttered. "King Sombra. The Enemy that the Order had sworn to fight against should he return."

"Such terrible fashion sense!" Rarity gasped. "Absolutely no contrast!"

The rest of the Ghostbusters, including Slimer, just turned to look at the fashionista.

"Seriously?" Rainbow Dash asked. "We're about to go into battle with basically Ganondorf from Legend of Zelda, and you're fixated on his _clothes?!_ "

"Well… ah don't see why we can't jus' blast 'im like we did Nightmare Moon," Applejack said.

"Bad idea," Twilight countered. "I thought about it a few times and… we _can't_ cross the streams here. For all intents and purposes, we're standing on top of the magical equivalent of a Nuclear Reactor. We're talking a wildcat cascade reaction that could rival _Hiroshima._ It could devastate the entire island!"

Sunset closed her eyes and thought about how they could defeat Sombra. If Twilight was right, and based on Sunset's knowledge of magic she very well could be, they had very few options. Her hand dropped for a moment and brushed up against something hanging from her Proton Pack. Opening her eyes, Sunset felt the object and remembered what she had brought with them. Gwenevere's Bow. The very weapon that killed Sombra the first time around. She could feel the magic radiating off the ancient weapon. In her hands it would just be an ordinary bow, but perhaps in the hands of Gwenevere's descendant…

"Ok… I got an idea," she said as she holstered her Neutrona Wand and pulled the Bow off her pack. "We use this."

"Sunset… we didn't bring any arrows," Starlight deadpanned. "And I seriously doubt a Bow is going to be of any use at all, even if it was Gwenevere's."

"Not in _our_ hands," Sunset pointed out before poking her head out to again look at her human counterpart. "But just maybe… in _her_ hands… we got a chance."

"Well… Kylie's research did say that Gwenevere was the one who shot Sombra," Pinkie Pie pointed out. "Maybe a _descendant_ of Gwenever can supercharge the magic Bow and blast Sombra again!"

"Its plausible," Starlight said. "Family connection to the original owner of a magic artifact can have an impact on the artifact's performance. She may not even need any arrows if she is a descendant."

"One step at a time," Sunset said. "We need to free my counterpart before we can do anything else… where's Pinkie?"

The girls looked around, finally noticing the pink haired party girl was suddenly missing. It didn't take them long to spot her… sneaking up on one of Sombra's guards, tongue sticking out the corner of her mouth, and Ghost Trap in hand.

"Oh no..." Sunset groaned.

"There goes our surprise attack," Twilight added.

After a moment, the remaining girls scrambled to catch up before all hell broke loose and Pinkie was left alone surrounded by very angry ghosts.

Sombra looked up at the hole in the ceiling of the Chamber, and saw the Full Moon shining down onto the Moon Pool, and Sunset Shimmer. With an evil smile, Sombra turned towards the redhead and produced a dagger, its obsidian blade glinting in the moonlight.

"I'm afraid the time has come my dear," he said as he approached her. Sunset's eyes went wide and she started thrashing in the magic restraints in a vain attempt to escape. Just as Sombra was bringing the blade up to her neck, a voice somewhere behind him made him stop.

"Excuse me Mr. Ghost… can I take your picture?"

Turning in annoyance, Sombra spotted one of his guards… being _sucked into_ a box held by a young girl with very curly, some could say bubbly, pink hair wearing a gray jumpsuit and some kind of pack on her back. Soon after, chaos erupted in the chamber as several other young women appeared, unleashing magic and strange streams of energy at anything ghostly in the area. Sombra recoiled when one came close to him, the source being… a young woman who looked EXACTLY like Gwenevere's descendant?! Another, who was dressed differently from the others, wielded Merlin's staff and relied entirely on magic.

"GUARDS! DEAL WITH THESE INTRUDERS!" Sombra ordered before floating up into the air and charging an energy orb in his hand.

Sunset dove as Sombra unleashed an attack. Quickly scrambling to the side to avoid a followup, Sunset unleashed a Shock Blast from her Proton Pack in an attempt to get some space. The general plan was to cause enough chaos to allow one of the girls to reach human Sunset and free her. So far… it wasn't working out so well. While Pinkie's fake Spirit Photography trick caught the guards by surprise, it was pretty much a stalemate with neither side actually gaining much ground. Rarity was using the Meson Collider to try and clear a path, only for the rapid fire bolts to start getting deflected by spectral shields. She soon had to conjure up a shield of her own as a counterattack was launched at the fashionista.

Twilight was caught in a deadly game of volleyball with Sombra himself, catching and redirecting his energy orbs right back at him. Rainbow Dash was trying to confuse guards with her speed, and Starlight was stuck on defense, throwing up a shield to protect herself from an onslaught of spectral lances. Fluttershy was hanging back and sniping with Boson Darts, and Applejack…

Applejack broke a piece of a large stalagmite off and hefted it.

"Hey ugly! Heads up!" the country girl called out before she threw it at Sombra in an attempt to give Twilight some space to maneuver. Sombra, having charged up another energy orb, reflexively dodged out of the way. The orb went wild and slammed into one of the restraints holding human Sunset in the air over the Moon Pool. The redhead cried out in fear as she found herself dangling from just one arm, and started to feel the magic restraints start to give under her weight.

Pinkie bounced around her opponent, frustrating the ghost with each near miss.

"Weeeeeee~" Pinkie exclaimed as she effortlessly dodged yet another attack before raising her Neutrona Wand and unleashing a Shock Blast, knocking the ghost back and giving her enough space to deploy her trap. Before she could switch on the Capture Stream, Sombra swooped in, grabbed her by the neck, and slammed her back into the wall.

"I have had enough of your insolence!" Sombra yelled as he held Pinkie against the wall. All activity stopped in the chamber. The Ghostbusters watched in shock and horror, unwilling to risk hitting Pinkie if they shot at Sombra. Pinkie, on the other hand, just let her Neutrona Wand go, letting it fall and dangle from her Proton Pack, and started trying to stick her hand into her pocket.

"You mortals are NOTHING compared to me!" Sombra exclaimed. "Once I am done with you… I will… wait… it… it cannot be!"

Sombra felt something familiar in the girl he held before him.

"Gawain..." he gasped. Taking a chance, he looked at the other girls around.

"Merlin..." he said as he locked eyes with Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer.

"Lancelot..." he said as he locked eyes with Rainbow Dash.

"Percival..." he said as he locked eyes with Rarity.

"Bors..." he said has he locked eyes with Applejack.

"Bedivere..." he said as he locked eyes with Fluttershy.

Again turning his attention to Pinkie Pie, he failed to notice that she had pulled her hand out of her pocket, and there were several glowing sprinkles in hand.

"Descendants of the Knights… It cannot bmmmph..."

Pinkie slapped her hand over Sombra's mouth, shoving the handful of sprinkles in before bracing herself as best she could. She had never purposefully used her exploding sprinkles offensively like this, let alone this close, but she had no other choice and decided to reenact a scene from _3 Ninjas_. Shortly after she was sure he had them all in his mouth, she quickly knocked his head up and closed her eyes. Soon after, Sombra's entire ghostly form seemed to fluctuate and deform as the exploding sprinkles went off, releasing Pinkie and letting her fall to the floor. Applejack was right by her side and quickly pulled her away.

Sunset watched as all this happened, unsure what to believe, until her eyes locked onto the one thing that seemed totally out of place. One of the Ghostbusters, the closest one to her, looked _exactly_ like her! Granted she typically had her hair in a ponytail rather than loose like her, but…

The last of the magic restraints gave out, and she fell into the Moon Pool screaming in fear.

Sunset Shimmer blinked as Sombra looked at her friends and listed off the names of the Knights of the Round Table. Having done a report on Arthurian Legend after the Nightmare Moon Incident, she recognized the names instantly. And then she remembered something they learned on this job.

It was said that only the descendants of King Arthur's Knights could truly defeat Sombra.

Her train of thought broke as she heard a scream. Turning in shock, Sunset Shimmer saw her human counterpart fall and splash into the Moon Pool. Gritting her teeth, Sunset pulled her Proton Pack off, ran for the Moon Pool, and dove in after her.

The water of the Moon Pool was crystal clear, and made Sunset tingle all over. It reminded her of when she got slimed by Slimer, and how she theorized that, because some believed Ectoplasm was concentrated Magic Power and she got all tingly back then, that somehow Sunset was surrounded by magic again, and strong magic at that. However she felt a warmth coming from her amulet around her neck. But there was something else too. The charm that the ferry captain had given her was glowing as well. Paying no attention to either, Sunset dove after her counterpart. It was clear from human Sunset's panicked expression that she didn't know how to swim. As soon as she was close enough, Sunset reached out and took her counterpart's hand, stabilizing her and coming down to be level with the human. She knew they were on the clock, as they couldn't hold their breath forever, but for a moment, both young women floated weightless in the water and just looked at each other, their hair drifting around their heads almost like a fiery halo.

Sunset pointed up, indicating they had to surface. Her counterpart nodded, still kinda freaked out. Taking hold of the Ghostbuster around the waist with one arm, she did her best to help her mirror image kick towards the surface.

Slimer hovered around the Moon Pool, looking nervous, as the battle started up again. He looked down just as a pair of redheads broke the surface and gasped for air. Floating down, Slimer reached over to help Sunset Shimmer, and pulled her out of the water. He blinked in confusion when he saw she wasn't wearing her Ghostbusters jumpsuit. The redhead looked up and recoiled in fear before a hand came down on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," Sunset Shimmer said to her counterpart. "He's harmless."

"Tha… that's a ghost!" the other Sunset exclaimed.

"Yea. He is. But he's friendly."

Sunset closed her eyes for a moment, giving her time to figure out what to say. With a nod she opened her eyes and looked for Gwenevere's Bow. She spotted it near her discarded Proton Pack… in the middle of a fight between Rainbow Dash and a ghost.

"Dash! The Bow!" Sunset called out. The chromatic haired girl spared a moment to look at her friend, then looked down enough to spot it. Looking back at Sunset, she nodded before using the Capture Stream to slam her opponent around and throwing him straight up into the ceiling. Unfortunately another Ghost charged at her and swept her off her feet, eliciting a string of profanities both English and Japanese from the athlete that was soon followed up by a veritable declaration of war as she unleashed hell. After a moment Rainbow Dash managed to maneuver closer to the bow and tried kicking it closer to Sunset. Sombra also took notice and started to charge up an energy orb. He recognized the weapon.

Gritting her teeth, Sunset dove for the Bow. As soon as her fingers closed around it, she felt a searing pain in her side as she suddenly found herself flying sideways into the cavern wall. Human Sunset ran over, concern showing on her face as she knelt down to check on her mirror image. There was a burn on Sunset's side, the jumpsuit smoldering a bit, but strangely there was no hole. It was then that human Sunset noticed something around her counterpart's neck and reached over to take a look. It was a simple shark tooth pendant, and it was glowing blue. Behind it was an amulet of some kind.

She soon found her mirror image lifting something and trying to put it in her hands. It was clear she was in pain, but she was pushing through it. Looking down, Sunset found… her ancestor's Bow.

"You're gonna need this," Sunset Shimmer managed to say as she levered herself up a bit, wincing in pain. "Call it a hunch, but… this will only work for you."

"What can I do?" human Sunset asked, her Irish accent a clear contrast between the two. Her mirror image looked up at her, and their eyes met.

"You can end this," was her reply. "I… I'll be fine. But _I_ can't finish him. _You_ can."

"How?"

Sunset just pushed the bow closer to her counterpart's chest. The message was clear. She had to use the Bow.

The Ghostbusters and Starlight gasped in shock as they watched Sunset get hit by the energy orb and go flying. For Starlight it was because up until now none of them actually got hurt. For the rest of the Ghostbusters, it was because their friend just went down. And in that moment, something in them all snapped. One of their own had been attacked directly. That was NOT going to go without a response. Six Neutrona Wands turned towards Sombra, and unleashed positively charged hell at the spectral monarch. Even Fluttershy, the normally timid girl, had a serious look on her face as she held down the trigger. Right now she looked like she could stare down a full grown _dragon_.

Human Sunset stood up, her gaze shifting between her ancestor's bow and her mirror image. After a moment she closed her eyes and held the Bow close. She was scared. But something inside her told her that she had to try.

 _"_ _Tabhair dom an neart chun é seo a fheiceáil trí..._ _"_ she said quietly to herself in Irish, asking for strength before opening her eyes and adjusting her grip on Gwenevere's Bow. As soon as her hand touched the bowstring, energy swirled around it and formed an arrow. This surprised her, but at the same time… it meant that she actually _could_ fight.

Turning to face Sombra, who was still contending with six _very_ pissed off Ghostbusters, she raised the Bow and took aim, drawing the bowstring back to her cheek.

Sombra tried desperately to fend off the Ghostbusters as six Proton Streams danced around his form. He underestimated the sheer ferocity that they were capable of. He hadn't anticipated taking one of them down would trigger such a response. In fact he figured quite the opposite. Seeing one of their own go down should have demoralized them. Broken them. Instead… it turned them into dragons. Even Sombra's own guards seemed to shy away from the onslaught as the Ghostbusters just tore into him. Just as he was about to try a spell to break free of the barrage, he cried out in pain as something slammed into the back of his knee. Turning enough to see what had hit him, Sombra visibly paled. Standing by the fallen Ghostbuster, was Gwenevere's descendant. He recognized the look in her eye. It was the look of a Celtic Warrior. It was the same look he had seen long ago in Gwenevere's eye. She drew back on the Bow and fired another arrow made of light, nailing him in the shoulder and causing him to cry out in pain.

Twilight saw what was going on and adjusted her grip.

"Switch to Capture Streams!" she called out. "Hold him!"

The remaining Ghostbusters let up just long enough to switch to manual Capture and fired again, this time their Streams wrapped around Sombra and held him in place. They could feel Sombra pulling in an attempt to break free. This was no longer a vengeful King. This was a scared animal surrounded by predators, and there was blood in the water.

She drew back on the Bow again, lining up on Sombra, and held it there.

"Your reign of terror ends now," human Sunset drawled. "I won't let ya threaten my _home_ or _my friends!_ "

For a moment she closed her eyes.

"Epona… guide my hand," she said quietly before opening her eyes and focusing. Adjusting her aim, she took a breath, held it… and released the arrow.

The magical arrow flew straight and true, right into Sombra's chest and piercing his spectral armor right where his heart would be if he were alive. Held in the Capture Streams of the Ghostbusters, Sombra had no chance of evading the attack and cried out as he was struck. Energy started to spiderweb across Sombra's body from where he had been struck by light arrows. His armor started to crack, and he writhed in agony. Soon his entire body was covered in glowing cracks before giving out one last cry and exploding. The energy unleashed swirled around the chamber like a hurricane, drawing all of Sombra's minions along with it and tearing them apart as well, before erupting up through the ceiling.

The resulting discharge could be seen all the way back to Westside High as energy poured into the sky, piercing a cloud, and…

Everything went silent.

* * *

Author's Note: Blame Google translate if the Irish is butchered. Supposed to say something along the lines of "Give me the strength to see this through".


	12. All for One

Chapter 12

All for One

Starlight shook her head to clear it. The unleashed energy from Sombra's defeat had thrown them all back, and in some cases into the cavern walls. Pushing herself up to her knees, she picked up her staff and got back to her feet. There was no sign of Sombra or any of his minions at all. She had also heard what Sombra had called them all.

The Prophecy had come true.

She was surrounded by descendants of the Kights of the Round Table, and they had vanquished the Dark King once and for all.

Taking a deep breath and leaning against her staff, Starlight smiled and looked up through the ceiling at the full moon. After a moment she looked around and found Twilight pushing herself up onto her feet. Moving over to help her, Starlight also picked up the science girl's glasses. Twilight thanked her, put them on, and frowned. Both lenses were cracked and spider webbed. With a sigh she took them off again and stuck them in a pocket.

"I don't think we could have won without you mainlanders," Starlight said with a smile, resting a hand on Twilight's shoulder.

"Well…" Twilight replied. "Now you know that you don't have to fight alone."

For a moment Starlight thought about what to do now before offering Twilight her staff.

"You should take this," she said. "I… I think you're more worthy of Merlin's Staff than I am. And since I guess we're distant cousins..."

Twilight just looked at the offered staff for a minute before running a hand over the shaft, settling over Starlight's open hand… and closed her fingers around it and gently pushed it back towards Starlight.

"I can't take this," she said. "It was given to _you_. I still have a _lot_ to learn about magic. That staff is already in good hands now. If anyone is worthy of it… its you."

With a smile, Starlight pulled Twilight into a hug and thanked her.

Fluttershy, after recovering, ran over to check on Sunset. The redhead's counterpart was already there with her bow slung over her shoulder and helping the Ghostbuster up to a sitting position. Sunset herself was still wincing in pain, but was very much alive. Fluttershy took a moment to look between the two Sunsets, noting the minor differences. The Sunset she knew had more confidence, and let her hair flow freely over her shoulders. The other Sunset was still relatively unsure and defensive, and seemed to favor a ponytail, but it looked like she was now willing to open up to others.

With a smile, Fluttershy put a hand on Human Sunset's shoulder as a show of support.

"I feel like I just got bucked in the side," Sunset said as she tried to get up, only for Fluttershy to hold her down for a moment.

"Well… ya did kinda get blasted by Sombra when you dove for my bow," Human Sunset replied.

"I kinda like your accent," Fluttershy said meekly to Human Sunset.

"My parents were from Ireland."

"Oh..." Fluttershy said, closing her eyes for a moment. "I'm sure they'd be proud of you."

"Aye… I… I hope they would."

Sunset smiled and put a hand on her counterpart's shoulder, and her eyes lit up, catching both redheads off guard. She got a flash of her counterparts memories of her parents before her magic let go. Closing her eyes, Sunset nodded.

"They would be," she finally said, opening her eyes. "And they wouldn't want you to beat yourself up or isolate yourself either."

After everyone recovered, and Sunset was checked out by her friends, the Ghostbusters made their way out of the cave and back towards civilization.

* * *

Sonia was starting to grit her teeth from having to channel the shield spell for this long, and she figured her brothers were in the same boat as well. Principal Aleena stood next to her and looked out over the mountain that stood in the center of Westside Island. She had seen the energy that had poured out of it and figured something had happened involving the Ghostbusters. Whatever they had done…

Figures emerged from the treeline, causing her to tense up. Even behind a magic shield, Aleena was on edge. At least until she saw that seven of the figures were wearing gray jumpsuits. Pulling the radio off her daughter's belt, Aleena called for Sonic and Manic to let go of the shield and return to the front of the school. As soon as the barrier collapsed, Aleena, Sonia, and Spike were running towards the Ghostbusters. As soon as she was close enough, she noticed that Sunset Shimmer was being supported by… Sunset Shimmer.

It really was weird to see the two together at the same time, but something in her own student's posture told Aleena that the redhead had found some confidence. Something that Aleena had been worried about. Starlight Glimmer's posture was also different as well. Less defensive than expected around the mainlanders. As soon as she was close enough, Aleena offered to help the Canterlot redhead.

Soon after, the Ghostbusters were being welcomed as heroes at Westside High. A couple of the local restaurant owners took over the school cafeteria and kitchen and started working on a thank you feast, while the School Nurse and local town Doctor looked over Sunset Shimmer. As soon as she was cleared, she directed them to go check on Father Michael up in the Church. Applejack had gotten together with one of the local mechanics and was in the process of negotiating repairs to the Ecto-Van, also volunteering to go with them to where the van was. Rainbow Dash…

Rainbow Dash was talking with Sonic Hedge, her blue cheeks flushed almost as red as the red stripe in her chromatic hair.

With a smile, Sunset Shimmer just leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. Everything had worked out after all. The biggest surprise though, was Sunset's human counterpart. The young Irish woman was actually interacting with everyone, with Sonia close by, and actually looking relieved as if she was afraid she wouldn't be accepted. After having apologized profusely to Sonia, human Sunset had opened up big time to just about everyone around her, and was welcomed by everyone as well. Sunset smiled as she remembered a similar feeling herself back at Canterlot after she took a stand with the Rainbooms against the Dazzlings, proving that she had indeed changed.

Sunset's eyes snapped open as she thought of something. One of the memories she saw from the ghost they had captured was of Sombra talking about something that seemed out of place. What did he mean by a "creature masquerading as a human"? It was then that she thought of something. SHE was basically masquerading as a human right now. But the individual in question couldn't be her, or even the Sirens. Who could…

"No… way..." she said out loud.

"What?" Twilight said from next to her, causing Sunset to jump in surprise.

"I just thought about what I saw from that ghost we captured," Sunset replied after recovering. "Sombra said something about a 'blasted creature masquerading as a human'. You know what that kinda sounds like?"

"Like you," Twilight said, pointing at the redhead. "You were born Equestrian, yet here you are as a human in our world."

"Exactly. I'm an Equestrian Unicorn, posing as a human. Yet Sombra wouldn't have known about me. But he's encountered an Equestrian in the past. And… I think I know who."

Twilight pulled a chair over and sat in it backwards, leaning against the back and motioning for Sunset to proceed.

"There's only one Equestrian I can think of who would not only fit the time period, but perhaps even a particular role. But its pretty far fetched and… well… shocking."

"Who?"

"Starswirl the Bearded himself. He was one of the greatest Unicorn Mages in Equestria. A Legend. And the only role he could fit here… would be Merlin."

Twilight blinked in surprise.

"Wait a minute… are you saying that… Starlight Glimmer and I are… part Equestrian?!"

"Its… entirely possible," Sunset replied. "Could explain why you're so powerful without as much experience as the rest of us."

"It also means that you're fully capable of having children here if that is true."

Now it was Sunset's turn to recoil in shock. She never actually considered that. And right now she kinda didn't want to. Besides… if she ever did start a family, trying to explain her origins and introducing them to her parents would be VERY awkward. Shaking her head, Sunset tried to clear her mind of that particular train of thought. Relief came when Sonia approached the pair.

"Well… looks to me like you Ghostbusters have been accepted as honorary Islanders," she said with a smile. "My brothers and I are actually thinking of throwing a charity concert to help raise some funds to help with repairing your van. Rotor's generosity only goes so far, seeing as his shop kinda got wrecked a bit in the siege."

"Concert?" Sunset asked.

"Well… yea. My brothers and I are a band."

"Funny thing is… so are me and my friends. Canterlot High Rainbooms."

"I heard about you guys! Something about some kind of event during a Battle of the Bands thing?"

"Yea… that was us."

"Well… you've probably heard about..."

"WHAT?!"

All three girls turned, and saw Rainbow Dash gasping in shock. Sonic was rubbing the back of his neck and trying to calm her down.

"Eh hehe… its not that big a deal is it?" he asked.

"Are… you… KIDDING ME?! I was wondering _why_ your names sounded familiar! You guys are _Sonic Underground!_ THE BEST High School band IN THE COUNTRY!"

"Well… I don't know about the best but…"

Sonia rolled her eyes and just hiked a thumb at her brother.

"Yea… that."

Sunset couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

Several days later, the Ghostbusters were back in Canterlot. The Ecto-Van was fully repaired, and even got a couple upgrades as well. The Charity Concert that the Hedge Triplets set up was a BIG success. They even pulled out enough instruments for the Rainbooms to join them, which made Rainbow Dash dang near faint from blood loss. The fact that the Rainbooms got to play with the legendary Sonic Underground was like a dream come true for Rainbow Dash.

Speaking of the Chromatic Haired One, Rainbow Dash actually got Sonic's phone number, and vice versa. Seemed like the pair of fast, athletic teens found a match, and wanted to stay in contact with each other. Sunset could tell that Rainbow Dash was a little in love. She just seemed to be a LOT happier all of a sudden. Probably a combination of things which included the fact she didn't have to hide her Equestrian Magic from him. Hell… before they left Westside Island, the two raced around town.

It ended in a tie.

Leaning back in her seat down in Ghostbusters HQ, AKA Canterlot High's old Bomb Shelter, Sunset smiled and thought about everything that happened, and the friends they made. While it was true this job was harder than the Nightmare Moon Incident, this time they actually had allies that helped them. Starlight Glimmer, The Hedge Triplets, and Sunset's counterpart. She felt pretty good, especially having helped her human counterpart through a rough point in her life. But at the same time, it made Sunset realize that she had a lot of unfinished business herself, specifically back in Equestria. She had to go face her own parents at some point. Knowing that human Sunset lost her parents really slammed that point home for her. Having already reconciled with Princess Celestia, Sunset felt that she had to take that next step sooner or later. Before it was too late.

While the rest of her friends were milling about, Sunset opened her journal and clicked a pen before she started to write.

 _Dear Twilight,_

 _Things had been pretty quiet around Canterlot High, but we recently got a call from Westside Island. An old friend of Principal Celestia asked for our help, and it really was a good thing she called us in._

 _I don't know if you ever had to deal with anyone named Sombra back in Equestria, but we did here. An ancient, evil King who was trying to resurrect himself. We also ran into my counterpart native to this world. I know this probably won't mean much to you since you're not familiar with Earth's geography or anything, but it turns out she's Irish, and even has the accent. We also made a few other friends during that job, in the form of Starlight Glimmer and three triplets named Sonic, Manic, and Sonia Hedge._

 _By the way… Rainbow Dash is kinda… crushing on Sonic Hedge big time._

 _As for my counterpart, she's opening up to friendship now that she doesn't feel so isolated and defensive. I guess you could say she had a similar experience I did against the Dazzlings. But after meeting her and hearing about what happened to her parents, its… I need to come home sometime and talk to mine while I still can._

 _Anyways, Sonia and Starlight are certainly helping her out. And she really did need friends._

* * *

"Sunset! Lets go! We're gonna miss that pod of Orcas going by the island!"

Sunset Shimmer smiled as she pulled her favorite brown leather coat on. Ever since the Ghostbusters came to Westside, things have gotten a lot better for her. Not only was Sonia now officially her best friend, but Starlight Glimmer was a friend too.

"Aye… give me a minute," Sunset called back to Sonia. "Just gonna start the sprinkler!"

After setting up the sprinkler, Sunset turned the water on full blast. That should cover the entirety of her little front yard. This small house no longer felt like a hideaway. It felt like a home. With a smile, Sunset started to run out to where Sonia and Starlight were waiting at the end of the driveway when the sprinkler turned towards her. She felt the water hit her, and instantly something felt off. Sunset felt what could only be described as a rush of energy inside her before she suddenly couldn't feel her legs and she fell over. Sonia and Starlight ran over, concern clearly showing on their faces. Concern that was soon replaced with shock and confusion. Sunset pushed herself up to a sitting position… and her eyes went wide when she looked at her legs.

Or… what HAD been her legs.

In place of her legs… was a fish tail with iridescent red scales. In a panic, Sunset felt along her side. The scales stopped around her hips.

"Wha… what the bloody hell happened to me?!" Sunset exclaimed, freaking out.

"Well..." Starlight trailed off before motioning for Sonia to turn off the water. "There are legends about the Moon Pool and how its connected with Mermaids. I… I think when you fell in… the magic of the Moon Pool… changed you."

"Into what?!"

"A mermaid. Look… I don't really know much, but I'll see what I can find, and I'm sure Father Michael can help."

"In the meantime," Sonia spoke up as she started to pull Sunset up off the ground. Starlight soon helped too, having to carry Sunset due to her lack of legs. "Lets see if you'll get your legs back if we dry you off. Until we know more… no getting wet alright?"

"At least you two are taking this well…" Sunset muttered.

"We grew up knowing about magic," Starlight said. "If anyone can help you… we can. Besides… what are friends for?"

"Just for the record," Sunset said. "If I start goin' fish crazy… slap me."

The two humans smiled as they helped their now half fish friend back into her house to dry off.

* * *

 _Hopefully things will stay quiet for a while. But knowing our luck… it won't. Sci-Twi's noticed an exponential increase in the range of Equestrian Magic readings radiating out from Canterlot High. She's concerned about what that could mean. And frankly… so am I. If this world had its native magic sealed in the past, and almost all knowledge of real magic lost to history as mere legend, what could this mean?_

 _We'll keep an eye on it from our end. If you want, you can see what you can find on your end back in Equestria._

Sunset looked up as she was about to finish her letter to Princess Twilight, which would have included some details about her theory that Starswirl had come over in the past and had living descendants here. It sounded like someone was coming down the stairs. Her eyes narrowed as she saw a rather distinctive and massive amount of orange and yellow hair. Setting her pen down, Sunset crossed her arms across her chest.

"Adagio Dazzle..." she deadpanned.

Standing in what amounted to the entrance to the Ghostbusters Office was one of the Sirens that had caused trouble for Canterlot High. Behind her were the other two members of the Dazzlings, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk. Ever since the Battle of the Bands, Adagio had kept her distance from the Rainbooms. Aria and Sonata, on the other hand, had at least made an attempt to mend some fences between them. Pinkie and Sonata especially hit it off, having similar, fun loving personalities. As a peace offering, Pinkie had introduced Sonata to her favorite Mexican restaurant, which was famous in town for making the best tacos. Aria, on the other hand, had started volunteering at Sweet Apple Acres to help Applejack, taking a different, more literal approach to "mending fences". Turns out Aria was pretty handy with tools as she was with music. And for the most part the girls have helped them to at least restore their singing voices in return, as when they weren't trying to feed off negative emotions spawned from their magic infused songs Aria and Sonata actually had beautiful singing voices. Voices that took a hit after their magic amulets were shattered.

"Sunset Shimmer," Adagio replied in kind before shaking her head and waving a hand in front of her. "Look… I don't like you, and you don't like me. I know that. But I wouldn't _be_ here if not for Aria and Sonata."

The rest of the Ghostbusters gathered around. Even Slimer floated down from where he had been relaxing. Sunset finally sat up in her seat and took note of the appearance of the Dazzlings. It was then she saw something was wrong. Aria was holding Sonata almost defensively, while Sonata seemed on the brink of tears. The poor former Siren looked scared out of her mind. Instantly Sunset's posture changed from defensive to concerned.

"What happened?" Sunset asked.

"We were attacked by something," Aria spoke up. "Hooded figure. Zeroed in on Sonata like a moth to a flame."

"This was two days ago," Adagio spoke up, some of that tough girl attitude dissolving as she relived the event. "We were just walking down the street when this creeper started following us. We may not have our Siren Magic anymore, but we have enough to be able to _sense_ magic."

"It was scary," Sonata squeaked, finally speaking up herself. "He grabbed me and I suddenly started to feel weak, like all my energy was draining away."

"I tried throwing my bottle of Pepsi at the guy to get him off Sonata," Aria said. "But it just... went right _through_ him like he wasn't even there. Like… he was a ghost. Adagio and I managed to pull Sonata free and back off. But I heard him mutter something about freeing himself from Tartarus and getting enough magic."

Instantly Sunset stood up. This sounded like some kind of entity from Equestria. And a powerful one at that. As Twilight got a description from Aria, and Fluttershy and Pinkie comforted Sonata, Sunset pulled Adagio off to the side.

"You're right," she said. "I don't like you. And by all rights I should refuse to help you. But because Aria and Sonata at least tried to make up for what you guys did… I'll do it for them. Not you. And… if this thing is from Equestria… then we kinda have to deal with it anyways."

Adagio seemed to deflate a bit, looking as if she made a mistake somewhere. But at the same time it seemed her pride was getting in the way. Shaking her head, Adagio threw her pride away and nodded.

"I… I don't blame you Sunset. You _should_ hate me after everything we did. And… I was just too prideful to even consider trying to make up for what we… what _I_ did."

Adagio looked over at Aria and Sonata.

"They're the closest thing I have to family in this world Sunset. I would do anything to protect them. Even… even swallow my pride and reach out to those that we fought against."

She finally looked back at Sunset. Gone was the prideful lead singer of the Dazzlings. What stood before the redhead now… was a concerned, _scared_ sister.

"Being as old as I am… I'm familiar with many powerful beings from our world. What we ran into that day… terrified me more than anything I have encountered in all my years. When we pulled Sonata away from that thing… its hood came off and I saw its face. While it was more human… I… I recognized him. The red skin, the dead, hungry eyes… he even had what looked like horns poking out of his hair.

I didn't show my fear to Aria and Sonata, knowing that it would make them even more afraid, but… I _know_ what we ran into. I don't know _how_ … but… he's somehow here in the Human World. Or… maybe its a part of him. I don't know. But… its _him_."

"Who?" Sunset asked.

* * *

Princess Twilight Sparkle smiled as she opened the journal that acted as a connection to the Human World. Sunset had written another letter. And she smiled as she read how she and her Canterlot High friends were doing. She was shocked to learn that they had their own version of Sombra. But seeing that Sunset and her friends were able to defeat him made her heart swell with pride and hope.

The Human World was in good hands as long as they were there. The theory that Starswirl the Bearded actually traveled into the Human World, and even had a _family_ over there was very interesting...

All the blood drained from Twilight's face as she read the last line of the letter. There… there was no way! He… he was trapped in Tartarus! Not only that… there was _no way_ he could even _get_ to the Human World! There was only one way, and that was _through_ Twilight's castle, because that was where the mirror that acted as a portal to that world was. It was literally impossible without anyone knowing!

She read over the letter several times to make sure she wasn't seeing things. The words didn't change. She wrote a quick reply, asking for clarification. Praying to Celestia that it was a mistake.

Sunset's curt, blunt reply hammered it home. She was serious.

 _I need everything you can get me on an Equestrian entity called Tirek._

* * *

Author's Note: And that's it. Ghostbuster Girls Legacy is complete! Decided to just post the last 3 chapters today because its Halloween and... well... why not give everyone a gift by finishing a Ghostbusters story?

I do plan on writing another story from this universe at some point as I have had a lot of fun in it. I also have plans to write a sequel to my Stargate crossover, maybe having EG-1 head over to Atlantis, and I have been playing around with an idea with a Fire Emblem crossover.

Anyways... Happy Halloween everyone! And stay safe out there while getting candy.


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